Brazilian bean arrives in China

The Asian market is a great opportunity for Brazil’s pulses and specialty crops sector. Among major countries, China is one of the most promising, with a population of more than 1.4 billion people and stable demand for food. 

With an eye on this opportunity, the Brazilian Institute of Beans, Pulses and Special Harvests (IBRAFE), in partnership with the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (ApexBrasil), created the Brazil Dry Beans and Sesame Seeds project, which will organize a prospective mission at Sial China 2023.

The trip will take place between May 18 and 20, 2023, and will organize visits to companies, and seminars and meetings with importers, as well as host guided tours of the Sial fair, which will be an excellent opportunity for business leaders in the sector to prospect for clients in this promising market.

China buys considerable amounts of sesame

Some 80% of the sesame consumed in China is imported. In 2022, its planted area reached the lowest level of 110,000 hectares. At the same time, sesame imports reached 1,174,000 tons in 2021, due to high demand.

″The main bottleneck in the global sesame market is supply stability. Currently, the largest global supplier countries are Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, among others. Regions of these countries face many challenges in terms of guaranteeing constant supplies, making the market volatile. Therefore, China looks to other sources to guarantee the offer,″ said Najla Souza (Manager of the ApexBrasil and IBRAFE Project).

Bean consumption soars in China

Bean cultivation in China has also been losing ground to other grains, such as soybeans, since 2019, with a 10% reduction in production. On the other hand, per capita consumption has grown by 400% per year.

Since 2019, the country has recorded reductions in mung bean production, which consequently led to higher demand for imports. This is a window of opportunity for Brazil, which has the production expertise and the capacity to meet Chinese demand.

Agreement in sight between Brazil and China

Brazil and China have been getting closer in the international trade of pulses and sesame for some time. The Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) are in talks to align the phytosanitary requirements of the two countries, a process that has already been completed for Brazilian sesame and is underway for Feijão.

The conclusion of these negotiations will make the Chinese market even more interesting for the pulses and special crops sector. ″In addition, it is the breathing s-ace that Brazil needs to further stimulate food production internally. With the Asian giant searching for new sources of supply, and considering the excellent relationship that Brazil has with the country, the scenario could not be more optimistic,″ Souza said in conclusion.

For information about the prospective mission in Sial China 2023, contact projects@ibrafe.org.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)