Red Kidney Beans
Tanzania · Ethiopia · Uganda
View productDry Beans
Light Speckled Kidney Beans (LSKB)
Light speckled kidney beans — LSKB, sugar beans, rose coco — from East African origins, graded to a contracted count per 100 g and approved on speckle pattern and background colour.
Light speckled kidney beans are the most widely traded bean type produced in East Africa, and the one where the region has the clearest commercial position. They are known by several names depending on where the buyer sits: LSKB in international trade documentation, sugar beans in Southern Africa, rose coco in parts of East Africa, and cranberry-type in some European markets. The names describe the same commercial product — a kidney-shaped bean with a cream to pale background and red-brown speckling.
- Origin
- Tanzania · Uganda · Rwanda
- Processing
- Whole, dried · Machine cleaned
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Packing
- 25 / 50 kg PP · FIBC
- Quantity
- Container quantities
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
- HS code
- 0713.33
- Availability
- Harvesting
Specification
Typical export specification
Indicative contract parameters, not laboratory results. The specification that applies is the one written into the contract.
Light Speckled Kidney Beans
LSKB / sugar bean type, machine cleaned
- Product
- Light speckled kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Speckle pattern
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Speckle intensity and background colour vary between growing zones and between seasons; approval is normally on sample.
Grades and forms
Available grades
Commercially distinct types, each contracted separately.
Standard speckle
The common commercial pattern: a cream to pale background with distributed red-brown speckling. Approved on sample.
Heavier speckle / cranberry style
Lots with denser or bolder marking, preferred in some markets and discounted in others. Availability depends on the growing zone and the season.
Packing and supply
Packing and container supply
Standard formats below, and buyer-specific packing where it can be supported. Planned net weight per 20ft container is indicatively 19 MT, confirmed against packing, density and destination.
Packing
- 25 kg PP woven bag
- 50 kg PP woven bag
- Buyer-branded bags
- Private label / customised packing
- Jumbo bag / FIBC
Container
- 20ft FCL — standard for bagged pulses
- 40ft FCL where the density suits it
- ~19 MT indicative net per 20ft
Terms
- FOB
- CFR
- CIF
- FCA on request
Loading
- Net weighed and marked to contract
- Container inspected before stuffing
- Final payload confirmed against density and destination
Packing is confirmed in writing before bagging begins. Packing formats and marking in full.
Quality and trade
Quality and export documentation
What decides quality in light speckled kidney
- Speckle pattern and background colour
- The defining commercial parameter. Varies by growing zone and season, and is approved on an agreed sample rather than described in a specification.
- Size (count per 100 g)
- Contracted as a band; availability depends on the crop and is confirmed against the current harvest.
- Discolouration and staining
- Highly visible against a pale background. Colour sorting is common on contracts where the product reaches the consumer in a transparent pack.
- Moisture
- Commonly 14% max, tightened where the route and destination humidity justify it.
- Admixture
- Other bean types in a speckled lot are conspicuous and are usually the first thing noted on arrival.
- Broken and damaged seed
- Large seed takes handling damage; splits and skin damage reduce the visual grade.
Third-party inspection can be nominated at the loading point — sampling, analysis, weight verification and loading supervision. Quality and processing in full.
Typical export documents
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Origin
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Fumigation Certificate
- Weight Certificate
Final documentation depends on the commodity, origin, destination and buyer requirements. Not every document listed is required on every shipment.
Origin and sourcing
Where this commodity is sourced
Sourced through established growers, aggregators and processors, with origin, crop and lot confirmed on each offer. Seasonal position is derived from the published crop calendar.
Typical sourcing window
Harvest Export
- TanzaniaMay–Jul · Jun–Oct
- UgandaJun–Jan · Jan–Aug
- RwandaJan–Jul · Feb–Aug
- BurundiJan–Jul · Feb–Aug
Tanzania: harvest May–Jul, export window Jun–Oct. Uganda: harvest Jun–Jan, export window Jan–Aug. Rwanda: harvest Jan–Jul, export window Feb–Aug. Burundi: harvest Jan–Jul, export window Feb–Aug.
Indicative windows from the published crop calendar, not a live stock position.
More on light speckled kidney
Production is spread across the highland bean zones: the Southern Highlands and the northern highlands around Karatu in Tanzania, the highland districts of Uganda and Rwanda, and the northern plateau of Zambia. The crop is a regional staple as well as an export line, which means domestic and cross-border demand competes with export demand and influences what is available at any point in the season.
This bean is bought on appearance more than almost any other pulse in the region. Speckle intensity, the ratio of background to marking, and the brightness of the cream base all vary between growing zones and between seasons, and buyers approve against a sample rather than against a written description. Two lots can be identical on moisture, purity and defect percentages and still be commercially different products in the buyer's eyes.
South Africa is the anchor destination. It consumes sugar beans at scale, imports when domestic production falls short, and sits on a shorter logistics leg from East Africa than most alternatives. Beyond that, the bean moves into regional African trade, into European retail for diaspora demand, and into food service.
Size is contracted as count per 100 g. Moisture is normally set around 14% max and tightened where transit and destination conditions justify it. Because the background colour is pale, discolouration and weather staining show clearly, which is why colour sorting is common on retail-facing contracts.
Also traded as LSKB · sugar beans · rose coco · speckled beans · cranberry beans · borlotti beans · romano beans. These are trade names for the same commodity and are covered by this page rather than split across separate listings.
Destination markets
Typical destinations for this commodity. Import duty, quotas and phytosanitary conditions are set by the importing country — confirm the current position with your own broker.
End uses
- Southern African retail
- Regional African trade
- European retail and diaspora
- Food service
Frequently asked questions
LSKB in trade documentation, sugar beans in Southern Africa, rose coco in parts of East Africa, and cranberry-type in some European markets. They are the same commercial product: a kidney-shaped bean with a cream background and red-brown speckling.
It is not specified in words — it is approved against a sample. Speckle intensity and background brightness vary between growing zones and between seasons, so buyers agree an approved sample and the shipment is matched to it.
Tanzania is the principal East African origin, from both the Southern Highlands and the northern highlands around Karatu. Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Burundi also produce the type. Each has a different harvest pattern and export route.
Size is contracted as count per 100 g. Buyers work to a band, and which bands are gradeable depends on the crop, so availability is confirmed against the current harvest rather than published as a standing figure.
South Africa is the anchor market for the type and imports when domestic production falls short. Because import demand moves with the local harvest, the window in which an imported offer is competitive is narrower than in structurally deficit markets.
Catalogue
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- Specification
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