China:
An initial survey of China’s prospective dry bean planting reveals that production in 2020 is estimated to be down by 9% with total volume of 174,500 MT. Planting area is estimated down 9% with total sowing area of 110,400 hectares. Growers have been active planting light speckled kidney beans (LSKB), red speckled kidney beans (RSKB) and purple speckled kidney beans (PSKB) due to increased market demand. However, farmers have much less interest in growing black beans and white beans this year which have been basically been planted for export markets. As a result, sowing area for black beans has declined this year but the sowing area for LSKB, RSKB and PSKB is roughly at the same level as last year.
Argentina:
A late May frost damaged about 5% of the bean crop in some of the Argentine planting areas. Weather is expected to be good for the remaining harvest through the end of June. To date, quality is good for kidney beans and alubias and we are estimating increased production. Black beans will be mixed, due to the wider production area and frost damage. For cranberries, this was not a good year, and most beans available are small size and regular quality. The 2020 crop is already being shipped, especially black and LRK. Exporters are still cautious when it comes to offering alubias and kidneys, because beans are just getting to the processing facilities but exports are following a healthy pace to date.
