China mung bean market holds firm on tight stocks and cautious demand

Domestic Chinese mung bean stocks are below 30% with farmers holding firmly on price, keeping acquisition costs elevated, while downstream demand for sprouting beans is only just-in-time. Both domestic and Uzbek sprouting mung bean prices are expected to stay broadly stable week‑on‑week. Chinese beans markets remain divided between a tight, firm upstream for mung beans and a cautious, hand‑to‑mouth downstream. Exporters report that less than one‑third of the domestic mung bean crop remains unsold, yet wholesalers for sprouting use are buying only on rigid demand, limiting upside in spot prices. On the import side, Uzbek mung bean arrivals coexist with still‑tight global supply and mixed selling attitudes among high‑stock traders. Against this backdrop, international kidney and adzuki bean offers from China are edging mostly sideways, suggesting a near‑term consolidation phase rather than a directional breakout.

Prices & Current Levels

Exporters indicate that domestic Chinese sprouting mung beans are expected to trade roughly stable next week, with an assessed average of about EUR 1,886/ton (converted from USD 2,050/ton). Acquisition costs remain high because farmers are reluctant sellers, but downstream buyers resist further increases.

FOB Beijing offers (EUR/kg) as of 14 May 2026 underline a broadly steady tone across China’s bean complex:

Outside China, recent FOB quotations show a slightly softer trend in Brazil and the UK across dark red and white beans, but these moves have limited immediate impact on the tight Chinese mung bean balance.

Supply & Demand Dynamics

For domestic Chinese mung beans, exporters report that remaining stocks are now below 30% of the crop. Farmers in multiple regions are still asking firmly, unwilling to concede on price despite slow offtake. This farmer resistance is a key factor supporting the market.

On the demand side, the sprouting segment (芽豆) is moving slowly. Downstream wholesalers and processors are mainly purchasing on a just‑in‑time basis, given high price levels and lack of strong consumption impulses. This mismatch—tight upstream supply but hesitant downstream buying—explains why the market is firm but not rallying.

For imported Uzbek mung beans, total supply into China is estimated around 40,000–50,000 tons. Some high‑inventory importers are still reluctant to sell and are holding for better levels, while others are following the market and shipping as orders appear. Elevated prices are also curbing buying enthusiasm here, with downstream participants likewise sticking to rigid demand only.

Fundamentals & External Influences

The latest offer curve from Beijing shows Chinese mung beans holding steady over the past week, while most kidney and adzuki bean lines moved only EUR 0.01/kg in either direction. This confirms a consolidation phase after earlier firming, rather than a new bullish leg.

Australian mung bean arrivals have increased slightly, adding some incremental supply into the broader Asian market, but overall availability remains described as tight. In combination with limited Chinese ending stocks and importers’ cautious selling, this keeps a clear floor under prices despite slow downstream turnover.

Weather conditions in major Chinese summer bean‑growing areas in the coming days are not expected to generate immediate supply shocks, so short‑term fundamentals will be driven more by inventory management and trading behavior than by weather.

Short‑Term Outlook

Market intelligence points to a stable price outlook next week for both domestic Chinese sprouting mung beans and Uzbek mung beans delivered into China. Tight residual stocks, firm farmer offers, and importer reluctance to sell offset the drag from sluggish demand.

Given the current balance, upside seems capped by weak downstream buying, while downside is limited by strong cost support and constrained supply. The most likely scenario over the next 1–2 weeks is a narrow trading range with a mild upward bias if any fresh demand emerges.

Trading Recommendations

• Importers/Wholesalers (China): Consider staggered, small‑lot coverage rather than large spot purchases, as prices are supported but rallies are also constrained by demand.
• Exporters with remaining Chinese mung stocks: Farmer firmness and low residual stocks argue against aggressive discounting; targeted sales into genuine demand windows may capture better margins.
• Buyers of Uzbek mung beans: With importers still selective sellers and overall supply tight, use any brief dips or seller competition to lock in limited forward volumes.
• Users of alternative beans (kidney, adzuki): With these segments mostly stable to slightly firmer, they remain viable substitutes but offer limited price relief versus mung beans.

3‑Day Directional Price View (EUR, FOB/China)

• Mung beans, organic, CN FOB Beijing: ~1.55 EUR/kg, bias: stable.
• Mung beans, 3.8 mm up, CN FOB Beijing: ~1.46 EUR/kg, bias: stable.
• Kidney & adzuki beans, CN FOB Beijing: broadly stable with very slight firming risk of up to 0.01–0.02 EUR/kg if nearby demand improves.