What is Bean Flour? Why Buy It?
Bean Flour is a finely milled powder made from dried beans, commonly used as a gluten-free alternative in baking, cooking, and food processing. It is rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making it an excellent choice for health-conscious consumers and food manufacturers.
Bean Flour is derived from various types of beans, including black beans, chickpeas, mung beans, navy beans, and fava beans. The production process involves cleaning, drying, milling, and sometimes roasting the beans to enhance flavor and shelf life. Due to its nutritional benefits and versatility, Bean Flour is increasingly gaining traction in the global food industry.
The growing demand for plant-based protein sources, gluten-free baking alternatives, and high-fiber foods has contributed to the rising popularity of Bean Flour. Its ability to improve the texture and protein content of baked goods, soups, and sauces makes it a valuable ingredient. Moreover, Bean Flour serves as a cost-effective and nutrient-dense food staple, making it an essential commodity in various regions worldwide.
Applications/Uses of Bean Flour
Bean Flour has diverse applications across multiple industries, including food, animal feed, and industrial uses. Its high protein and fiber content make it an ideal ingredient for various products.
Food Industry
Baking and Cooking
Bean Flour is widely used in gluten-free baking to produce bread, cakes, muffins, and pancakes. It enhances texture, flavor, and nutritional value.
Thickening Agent
Bean Flour serves as an excellent thickener for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies, providing additional fiber and protein.
Pasta and Noodles
Bean-based pasta and noodles are popular among health-conscious consumers looking for gluten-free alternatives.
Snack Production
Bean Flour is incorporated into snack foods such as chips, crackers, and protein bars, offering a healthier alternative to traditional wheat-based snacks.
Baby Food
Due to its digestibility and nutritional profile, Bean Flour is often used in baby food formulations to provide essential nutrients.
Meat Substitutes
Bean Flour is a key ingredient in plant-based meat alternatives, contributing to their protein content and texture.
Animal Feed Industry
Livestock and Poultry Feed
Bean Flour is included in animal feed formulations due to its high protein content, supporting livestock growth and development.
Aquaculture
Some fish feed manufacturers incorporate Bean Flour into aquafeed to provide an alternative plant-based protein source for fish and shrimp farming.
Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Industry
Nutritional Supplements
Bean Flour is used in dietary supplements and protein powders due to its high amino acid content.
Skincare Products
Certain bean varieties, such as chickpea flour, are used in natural skincare formulations for exfoliation and skin nourishment.
Industrial Applications
Bio-based Packaging
Bean Flour is explored for its potential use in biodegradable packaging materials as an eco-friendly alternative to plastics.
Adhesives and Starches
Bean-derived starches are used in adhesive formulations for paper, textiles, and wood industries.
Top Producing/Exporting Countries of Bean Flour
Bean Flour production is primarily concentrated in countries with extensive bean cultivation. The leading producers and exporters include:
China
As the world’s largest producer of various beans, China plays a significant role in Bean Flour production, exporting large quantities to Asian and European markets.
India
India is a major producer of chickpeas, black grams, and mung beans, which are processed into Bean Flour for both domestic and international markets.
United States
The U.S. is a key supplier of Bean Flour, particularly from regions like North Dakota, Michigan, and Nebraska, where navy beans and black beans are cultivated.
Brazil
Known for its vast agricultural sector, Brazil produces large quantities of black beans and other legumes for Bean Flour processing.
Mexico
Mexico exports Bean Flour derived from black beans and pinto beans to North American and European markets.
Canada
Canada produces high-quality pulses, including lentils and chickpeas, which are processed into Bean Flour for export.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a significant producer of fava beans, which are processed into Bean Flour for domestic consumption and export.
Myanmar
Myanmar exports Bean Flour made from mung beans and chickpeas, primarily to Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
Top Importing Countries of Bean Flour
Several countries rely on Bean Flour imports to meet their food processing and nutritional needs. The leading importers include:
United States
The U.S. imports Bean Flour for use in gluten-free products, plant-based foods, and processed snacks.
European Union (EU)
Countries like Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the UK import Bean Flour for baking, baby food, and protein-enriched food production.
Japan
Japan imports high-quality Bean Flour for traditional foods such as miso, tempura batters, and confectionery.
South Korea
South Korea is a growing market for Bean Flour, particularly in health food products and gluten-free baking.
China
Despite being a major producer, China imports specialized Bean Flour varieties to meet the demands of its growing food industry.
India
India imports specific types of Bean Flour for processed food applications and nutritional supplements.
Australia
With a rising demand for plant-based and gluten-free foods, Australia imports Bean Flour for bakery and health food industries.
Middle Eastern Countries
Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia import Bean Flour for use in traditional foods and processed food industries.
International Price of Bean Flour Per Metric Ton
The unit price ($ per MT) of Bean Flour in the international market depends on a host of different factors including:
- The grade of the produce (usually the more the processing, the higher the price)
- The price of the raw material
- Age of the seeds (this can affect the price)
- Production levels in producing countries
- Economic conditions and the exchange rates between the currencies of the producing and importing countries.
- The quantity ordered (the greater the quantity, the cheaper you can get it per ton)
- Harvest season (it is more costly when it is out of harvest season).
- Weather conditions (some commodities are sensitive to weather conditions).
- Freight & haulage cost
- Percentage of markup
- Import duties, trade tariffs and trade agreements between countries
- Distance from the country of origin
- Technology/Infrastructure available in country of origin
- Relationship between the buyer and seller
That said, as at March 2025, Bean Flour costs between $800 and $1500 Per Metric Ton (1,000 kilograms) in the international market (i.e. $0.8/kg to $1.5/kg).
How To Safely Source for Your Bean Flour Produce
If you find the right export company, buying directly from them can make the purchase process easy and stress-free, when compared with doing the sourcing on your own. That said, there are few things to note when dealing with an export company in Nigeria or Africa. The specific requirements for Nigeria are listed below, but they mostly apply to other African countries:
- The exporting company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to make sure the company is registered and permitted to carry out business
- The export company must also be registered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
- The company must possess a domiciliary account to accept international
The company should get all necessary export-related documentation done before the shipment leaves the port of origin. Some of the documents are:
- Certificate of origin
- Bill of lading
- Inspection Certificate (SGS, Cotecna, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, etc)
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Fumigation certificate
Where To Find Reliable Exporters
An important question that still needs to be answered is how to find Bean Flour exporters in Nigeria. You can use any of the methods listed below:
- Attend trade fairs
- Use search engines like Google, Yahoo,
- Search for agents on Linkedln
- Sign up on trade platforms (e.g. Alibaba, Tradeford, Go4WorldBusiness)
- Neogric – Neogric is one of the reliable Bean Flour exporters in Neogric is rated among the best in the exporting business in Nigeria. The company is not limited to the exportation of Bean Flour alone but can export other agricultural produce ranging from perishables to dry seeds.
How To Pay For Your Bean Flour Produce
You can pay for Bean Flour using different methods, but three of the popular ways of paying for your agric produce are:
- Bank (T/T) Payment
- Advance Payment
- Letter of Credit (LC)
Bank Payment (T/T)
Bank payment is also known as T/T, “Telegraphic Transfer” or “Telex Transfer” In other words, it is an international wire of funds from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank.
A T/T is technically not the same as a wire transfer, which is often done through the SWIFT network. However, when a seller or supplier asks for a T/T payment, a wire transfer is what they are really asking for.
The wire transfer based on the SWIFT system is the most common payment method in international trade. Typically, it takes 1-5 working days to clear, and generally costs between 25 and 50 USD, depending on your agreement with the commercial department in your bank.
Advance Payment
There are sellers that will demand anywhere from 30% to 50% advance payment, and for good reason. If both parties have done deals in the past, sellers can ask for a percentage of the sales (about 30%) before they ship the produce and they can request for the remaining amount after a scanned copy of the Bill of Lading has been sent to the buyer.
It is the safest option for exporters and it also guarantees that they will have some funds to help with sourcing. It is popular among manufacturers on B2B marketplaces like Alibaba and also with commodity traders.
However, advance payment carries considerable risk for the importer (buyer) because the exporter (seller) might not be under as much pressure to ensure quality checks compared with a stricter form of payment. Some might even disappear entirely.
Having said that, advance payment is very useful and is widely used. For instance, the seller might need to secure the commodity in the face of increased competition. It can also be used when the exporter needs some money for sourcing the produce or for processing raw materials.
The most important thing is for both importer and exporter to build mutual trust by having a track record of successful deals with each other or other known companies.
Letter of Credit
Letter of Credit is an agreement generated by the bank of the buyer, guaranteeing payment once certain conditions are met. It is one of the safest types of payment available to both buyer and seller.
Some of the types of Letter of credit are:
- Commercial Letter of Credit,
- Sight Letter of Credit
- Transferrable or Non-Transferable Letter of Credit
- Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC)
- Usance or Deferred Payment Letter of Credit
- Revocable or Irrevocable Letter of Credit
- Confirmed or Unconfirmed Letter of Credit
- Revolving Letter of Credit
- Green Clause Letter of Credit
- Red Clause Letter of Credit
L/Cs are not totally safe (for either buyer or seller) too. For instance, sellers can ship substandard products or those that are different from the ones agreed upon. In this case, the seller gets paid and the buyer receives goods he cannot use.
And speaking of the dangers of L/Cs for the exporter, the conditions in the Letter of credit might be practically impossible to fulfil; if an exporter agrees to such, he might be unable to receive payment. A report stated that of the letters of credit received in the UK, 50% are unworkable while 70% are rejected by the banks for payment.
Shipping & Delivery Terms
When shipping your products, it is important to take note of a few factors:
Order Quantity
For smaller shipments, airfreight is often the preferred option but as the order volume increases, sea freight could become significantly cheaper. Usually when the order is close to a full container load (20 ft), sea freight is used. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in cost of delivery of products, prices have stabilised.
Cost of Delivery
When the order is of a large volume, sea freight often turns out cheaper than air freight. In fact, air freight could be up to 6 times more costly than sea freight if the volume is large enough.
Time of Delivery
Sometimes, time will be more important to the buyer than the cost of delivering the product. In this case, air freight will be the logical option (as stated above, the cost will be more). But if you have more time as a buyer, you should strongly consider using sea freight.
Incoterms
Incoterms refer to generally accepted shipping and payments terms. For example, buyers that have representatives in the source country or that can negotiate with the freight company can use the Free of Board (FOB) terms, since it gives them more control and can save them some money.
However, if the shipment is small or the buyer doesn’t have an extensive network to effectively handle payment for freight, insurance and port charges, he will be better off choosing the Cost-Insurance-Freight (CIF) payment option.
Neogric: Top Exporters and Suppliers of Bean Flour
We invite you to place your order for high-quality Bean Flour with us at Neogric. We are a trusted global commodity sourcing and trade solution provider with deep expertise in the Bean Flour industry. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, our wide range of products and technology powered, end-to-end supply chain make the export of quality Bean Flour easy, quick and safe. Whichever region of the world you are, be it Europe, Asia, USA, Canada, Other North/Central American countries, Africa, South America or Oceania, you can reliably order your agricultural produce and we will ensure it is successfully delivered to you, on time.
Why Buy Bean Flour From Neogric?
Choosing Neogric as your Bean Flour supplier offers several advantages:
- Quality Assurance: We maintain strict quality control standards, ensuring our Bean Flour and other products are of the highest quality.
- Wide Product Range: We offer a diverse selection of products, catering to various
- Reliable Supply Chain: Our efficient technology-powered end-to-end supply chain ensures timely delivery of your orders.
- Expertise and Support: Our team of experts provides valuable insights and support, making your purchasing process smooth and hassle-free.
Our Bean Flour Trade Specifications
- Origin: Nigeria
- Product Name: Bean Flour
- Physical Specification: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Quantity: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- MOQ: 10 Metric Tonnes
- Trade Process: Ex Works/FOB/CIF
- Admixture/Impurities: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Inspection: SGS/Cotecna/Intertek/Bureau Veritas
- Packaging: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Payment Method: TT (Bank Transfer) or L/C
- Shipping Time: 15 to 25 Days After Confirmation of TT or L/C
- Loading Port: Lagos (Nigeria), Abidjan (Cote D’ivoire) or Tema (Ghana)
Expected Shipping Documents
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Origin
- SGS Inspection Certificate
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Fumigation Certificate
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
Place Your Bean Flour Order With Neogric
Contact us today to place your order for high-quality Bean Flour. Our team is ready to assist you with all your procurement needs.
- Tel: +2348147860157
- Email: neo@neogric.com
- WhatsApp: Chat With Us