Betting on China was backfired! South Africa’s Hawaiian beans were forced to lower their prices, and the end was too tragic

South Africa, the former global hegemon of Hawaiian beans, relied heavily on the Chinese market, but now it is in trouble! As China's output ranks first in the world, Chinese buyers actually require South Africa to import Hawaiian beans at a price comparable to domestic prices. South African industry operators angrily shouted that "this is simply not possible." To make matters worse, the global oversupply of Hawaiian beans is increasing. South African farmers even revealed that only half of this year's harvest was sold. There are even rumors that some processing plants have gone bankrupt, putting the industry in trouble.

The South African agricultural media "Farmer's Weekly" reported that South Africa has long been the world's leading producer of Hawaiian beans since surpassing Australia in 2013, and is highly dependent on the Chinese market. According to statistics from the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC), South Africa will export 44,104 tons of shelled Hawaiian beans in 2024, of which 41,779 tons will be sold to China, accounting for 94.7%. South African media reports in June 2026 also pointed out that about 40,000 tons of shelled Hawaiian beans will be exported to China in 2025, showing that China is still an extremely important export market for South Africa.

However, as China aggressively expands Hawaiian bean cultivation, the market situation has reversed. The United States Department of Agriculture's October 2026 report estimates that China's Hawaiian bean production in the 2026/27 production season will reach 110,000 tons, an increase of about 12% from the previous year, and the planting area will reach 380,000 hectares. The output is expected to surpass South Africa and become the world's largest producer.

Alex Whyte, director of Green Farms Nut Company in South Africa, pointed out that Chinese buyers are now demanding that the price of South African Hawaiian beans shipped locally must be the same as that of domestically produced Hawaiian beans in China, but this is "simply not feasible" for South African exporters. China's gradual transformation from an important import market to a major producer also puts South African companies under greater bargaining pressure.

In addition to increasing competition from China, global Hawaiian beans are also in oversupply. Whyte said that global production in 2026 will increase by 20% compared with last year, but sales volume will be similar to last year. The US dollar quotations of some products have fallen by about 8%. Coupled with the appreciation of the South African currency, farmers' incomes will be further eroded, and low price pressure is likely to continue for at least 4 years.

The agricultural media "FreshPlaza" also previously disclosed that an unnamed South African farmer revealed that only about half of this year's harvest had been sold by the time of the interview. China's procurement has slowed down significantly, and some purchase prices are not even enough to cover production costs. A Hawaiian bean processing plant in the Lowveld region of South Africa was even reported to have gone bankrupt. Some farmers are facing financial difficulties, and storage space in Durban and Johannesburg is increasingly tight.

According to industry analysis, a large number of newly planted Hawaiian bean trees around the world are entering their peak production period, and supply continues to increase, but demand growth has failed to keep up. If South Africa cannot reduce its dependence on the Chinese market and expand other export channels, it may continue to face low prices and inventory pressure in the future.