UK Bean FOB Prices Ease Slightly While China and Brazil Stay Steady

UK bean FOB prices are broadly stable with a mild softening in some splits, while Brazil and China hold steady to slightly firmer, especially for Chinese organic lines. Weather in England remains dry but seasonally mild, supporting harvest logistics rather than adding fresh risk premia. UK-origin beans out of London show small downward adjustments in German split and dried bean categories, suggesting comfortable nearby supply despite drought concerns. In contrast, Chinese FOB values for mung, kidney and adzuki beans are described as firm but not overheating, underpinned by export-driven demand and smooth autumn harvest progress. Brazilian dark red and brown-eye kidney beans remain flat week-on-week amid largely featureless domestic pricing.

Prices

Price moves over the last update window are modest but directionally clear. In the UK, German beans split FOB London eased from 0.82 EUR to 0.80 EUR, and Beans dried split 12 mm slipped from 1.33 EUR to 1.30 EUR, indicating slight pressure on processor premiums. Beans broad whole 12 mm softened from 1.05 EUR to 1.03 EUR FOB London, while UK white kidney beans held flat at 1.22 EUR FOB London, underscoring relative tightness in higher-spec material.

Fava Beans sortex small remain unchanged at 0.99 EUR FOB London, suggesting that variable field yields reported for faba beans across the UK have so far balanced out at aggregate level. Last month’s UK pulse update already described wide yield ranges for faba beans, from 0.5 t/ha to more than 6 t/ha depending on region and rainfall patterns, with southern and eastern UK most impacted by hot, dry conditions. 

In Brazil, dark red kidney beans and brown-eye beans out of Brasília remain unchanged at 1.25 EUR and 1.22 EUR FOB respectively, mirroring a domestic carioca bean market that currently shows either no quotation or very limited trade at key hubs.  Chinese FOB Beijing quotations for mung, kidney and adzuki beans are described as broadly steady into early October, with only marginal upticks in organics and some fractional easing in selected conventional kidney grades. 

Supply & Demand

UK supply signals are mixed but not overtly tight. Drought monitoring for England up to 1 October confirms another predominantly dry week, with river flows and reservoir levels below normal and many areas in drought or prolonged dry status.  Despite these moisture deficits, bean harvest operations are largely complete in key arable regions, and recent policy flexibility on using legume fallows for forage and grazing through October aims to ease forage shortages rather than pulses specifically. 

For faba beans, agronomy groups reported extremely variable 2026 yield outcomes, with drought-hit fields in southern and eastern UK pulling averages down but better performance elsewhere.  This helps explain why Fava Beans sortex small prices are steady: weak yields in some districts are offset by more normal crops elsewhere and subdued export pull. Domestic demand for human-consumption beans remains relatively stable, with beans continuing to be promoted as a lower-cost protein and useful break crop in UK rotations. 

In China, the beans market remains strongly export-led. Recent analysis highlights a structurally export-focused supply base, especially in Yunnan, with international orders and exchange rates still setting marginal prices.  New-crop mung, kidney and adzuki harvests are progressing under generally favourable autumn conditions, and exporters are described as reluctant to discount while export interest from Asia remains steady.  Brazilian dry bean quotations show little short-term movement, with recent carioca bean boards registering either no prices or stagnant levels at key producing regions, reflecting balanced nearby supply and only moderate trade. 

Weather & Logistics

For GB, the next three days (4–6 October) in London are forecast mostly dry with a mix of cloud and sun, daytime highs around 19–21°C and cool nights near 12°C.  These conditions favour remaining fieldwork, on-farm drying and movement of beans to FOB positions in London, without adding new drought stress at this late stage of the season.

England more broadly continues to experience below-average rainfall, with many catchments showing low river flows and declining reservoir storage, although cooler conditions have capped water demand.  From a pulse-market perspective, this pattern now primarily affects forward cropping decisions for winter beans rather than the 2026 harvested crop. Agri-advisory material for the current season still endorses mid-October onwards as a key sowing window for winter beans, emphasising deep sowing to build drought tolerance later in the season. 

In North China, meteorological outlooks around Beijing and major bean-growing plains call for mild, mostly dry early-autumn conditions with occasional light showers, which are considered positive for harvesting, storage and port logistics.  No major logistical disruptions have been reported, reinforcing the steady tone in Chinese FOB offers.

Fundamentals & Market Drivers

• UK yield volatility but balanced stocks: Large intra-UK yield variability for faba and other beans has not translated into sharp FOB moves, implying that merchants still see aggregate availability as adequate. 
• China export-led pricing: Reports emphasise that Chinese mung, kidney and adzuki beans remain driven by export orders, with Yunnan’s export base a key reference and exporters resisting discounts despite only moderate trade flows. 
• Stable to soft Brazil: Brazilian dry bean quotes, especially carioca, show little change, pointing to a flat domestic market that anchors Brasília kidney bean FOB values. 
• Limited weather risk premia: While England remains in a dry-weather pattern, most pulse harvest is already complete, and upcoming weather is benign, limiting fresh weather-driven price spikes for nearby positions. 

Trading Outlook (3–7 days)

• UK FOB London (all beans): Sideways to slightly soft. Recent small declines in splits suggest some room for buyers to negotiate on volume parcels, but flat white kidney and fava prices argue against aggressive discounting.
• Brazil FOB Brasília kidney beans: Sideways. With domestic benchmarks stagnant and no obvious supply shock, expect offers to track current levels into the coming week.
• China FOB Beijing (mung, kidney, adzuki): Steady to mildly firmer. Export-led demand, seasonal weather support and exporter resistance to discounts point to a firm undertone, especially for organics, though major breakouts are unlikely in the very short term. 

3-day Regional Directional View

• London FOB (GB beans): Mostly stable; slight downward bias for splits, flat for white kidney and fava as logistics remain smooth and weather benign.
• Brasília FOB (BR kidney): Flat; domestic Brazilian bean quotes show no strong trend, keeping export values anchored.
• Beijing FOB (CN mung/kidney/adzuki): Stable to a touch firmer; export enquiries and good harvest weather support current price structure.