Seeds ExporterContainer loading guide: how much seed fits in a 20ft and 40ft
A 20ft container carries 18–20 MT of round seed such as alfalfa, sesame or guar in 25 kg bags, and a 40ft carries 25–27 MT before hitting the road-weight limit. Light or bulky products change the picture: rhodes grass fills a 20ft at 12–14 MT, dried rose petals at 3–4 MT, and pink salt is weight-limited at 25 MT. The table below gives the figure for every product we export, followed by bag sizes, palletised versus loose loading and what you see in our loading photos.
Tonnes per container by product
Figures are for loose-stacked bags on a kraft-paper floor. Palletised loads carry about 10% less. Container weight limits differ by route: most Gulf and African routes accept 25–26 MT gross in a 20ft; European and US inland legs may cap at 21–24 MT, so confirm with your forwarder before we stuff a heavy product.
| Product | Pack | 20ft (MT) | 40ft / 40HC (MT) | Bags per 20ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa (Lucerne) Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg PP bags | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Sprouting Alfalfa Seed (food grade) | 25 kg bags | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Berseem Clover Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Persian Clover Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Rhodes Grass Seed | 25 kg | 12–14 MT | 20–22 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 480 x 25 kg | Light, fluffy seed; volume-limited, use 40ft HC |
| Sorghum & Sudan Grass Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Treated seed adds 1–2% weight |
| Sesbania Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Guar Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Ryegrass Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Hybrid Pearl Millet (Baymisaal) | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Sesame Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Big bags of 1,000 kg available |
| Fenugreek Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Dried Rose Petals & Buds | 10 kg / 20 kg cartons | 3–4 MT | 6–8 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 300 x 10 kg | Volume-limited; LCL or air usual |
| Pine Nuts | 10 kg / 25 kg | 12–14 MT | 20–22 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 1,200 x 10 kg | Vacuum packs in cartons; reefer optional for kernels |
| Himalayan Pink Salt | 25 kg / 50 kg / big bags | 25 MT | 26–27 MT (weight limited) | approx. 1,000 x 25 kg | Weight-limited at 25 MT; 20ft is most economical |
| Dried Red Chillies | 25 kg / 50 kg | 8–10 MT | 18–20 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 320 x 25 kg | Bulky; 40ft HC recommended |
| Nigella (Kalonji) Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
| Licorice Root | 25 kg bales | 12 MT | 22–24 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 480 x 25 kg | Pressed bales; cut/powder pack denser |
| Dried Sea Buckthorn Berries | 10 kg / 20 kg | 6–8 MT | 14–16 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 600 x 10 kg | Cartons; LCL usual |
| Ephedra (Ma Huang) Herb | 25 kg bales | 10 MT | 18–20 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 400 x 25 kg | Pressed bales |
| Cumin Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 15–16 MT | 24–25 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 600 x 25 kg | Lighter seed |
| Basil (Tukhm‑e‑Balanga) Seed | 25 kg | 15–17 MT | 24–26 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 600 x 25 kg | Lighter seed |
| Cress (Garden Cress / Halim) Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Dense small seed; keep bags dry |
| Fennel Seed | 25 kg / 50 kg | 12–14 MT | 20–22 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 480 x 25 kg | Light ribbed seed; 40ft HC recommended |
| Castor Seed | 50 kg | 18–20 MT | 26–27 MT | approx. 360 x 50 kg | 50 kg bags; MSDS travels with cargo |
| Panicum (Guinea / Mombasa Grass) Seed | 25 kg | 5–6 MT | 8–10 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 200 x 25 kg | Very light fluffy seed; 40ft HC strongly advised |
| Brachiaria (Signal / Ruzi / Mulato type) Seed | 25 kg | 10–12 MT | 18–20 MT (40ft HC) | approx. 400 x 25 kg | Light seed; coated seed packs ~50% heavier |
| Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense) Seed | 25 kg | 18–20 MT | 26 MT | approx. 720 x 25 kg | Loose or palletised |
Bag sizes and what they weigh
Forage, oil and spice seed ship in 25 kg woven polypropylene bags with an inner polyethylene liner for moisture protection; 50 kg bags are supplied for alfalfa, berseem, sesbania, sesame, fenugreek, cumin, chillies and salt where the buyer's handling allows. Big bags of 1,000 kg are used for sesame and salt to crushers and processors. Botanicals and nuts go in 10 kg or 20 kg cartons. Each bag or carton is printed or labelled with product, variety, lot number, net weight, origin, exporter and the importing country's required text, and sewn closed with a tear-off tag.
| Pack | Products | Per 20ft (approx.) | When to choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 kg PP bag with liner | All seed lines | 720–800 bags | Standard; manual handling at destination |
| 50 kg PP bag | Alfalfa, berseem, sesbania, sesame, fenugreek, cumin, chilli, salt | 360–400 bags | Government programmes, bulk feed and processing |
| 1,000 kg big bag | Sesame, pink salt | 18–25 bags | Crushers, salt processors with forklifts |
| 10 kg / 20 kg carton | Rose petals, sea buckthorn, pine nut kernels | 300–400 cartons (volume-limited) | Retail and tea/cosmetic manufacturers |
| 25 kg pressed bale | Licorice, ephedra | 400–480 bales | Extractors; densest form for bulky herbs |
Palletised or loose?
Loose (floor-loaded) maximises weight: bags are stacked in an interlocking brick pattern to the container roof on a kraft-paper or plastic floor sheet, with a paper or cardboard wall at the doors. It suits destinations where the container is unloaded by hand, which is most of the Gulf, Africa, South and Central Asia.
Palletised loads use 20 pallets of 40 bags (1 MT each) in a 20ft, shrink-wrapped and strapped, for destinations with forklift unloading and pallet racking: Europe, East Asia, North America, Australia. It costs about 10% of capacity and USD 150–250 in pallet and wrap, and is required by some buyers' warehouses and by Australia (heat-treated ISPM 15 pallets). We use ISPM 15 pallets by default on palletised loads.
- Loose: 18–20 MT alfalfa in a 20ft; palletised: 16–18 MT
- Kraft-paper floor and door wall on every loose load
- Desiccant bags on request for humid destinations
- Container inspected for holes, odour and previous cargo before stuffing; photos of the empty box go to the buyer
Loading photos
Every stuffing is photographed: empty container with number, floor sheet, partial stack, full stack, door wall, seal applied. The photo set goes to the buyer the same day with the packing list and seal number. Below are typical loads from our Hyderabad warehouse and Karachi CFS.
Mixed containers
Buyers who need several products can share one container: alfalfa with rhodes and sorghum for a Gulf dairy, or ryegrass with Persian clover for Iran. Each product is a separate lot on the packing list and the phytosanitary certificate, with its own bag colour or tag so the stack can be split at destination. Minimum per product in a mixed load is normally 2 MT (80 bags). Pricing for mixed loads is on the prices and MOQ page; document handling is in the documents guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many 25 kg bags of alfalfa seed fit in a 20ft container?
720–800 bags (18–20 MT) loose-stacked; about 640–720 bags (16–18 MT) on 20 pallets.
Should I order a 20ft or a 40ft for seed?
For dense seed (alfalfa, sesame, guar, sorghum, salt) a 20ft is normally the better value because the 40ft hits its weight limit at 25–27 MT, only 30% more cargo for a much higher freight rate. For light products (rhodes grass, chillies, rose petals, licorice, ephedra) a 40ft high-cube gives nearly double the cargo for the same freight.
Are the pallets ISPM 15 heat-treated?
Yes on all palletised exports. The pallets carry the IPPC mark and the treatment is noted on the packing list. Australia, the EU, China and the US all require it.
Do you provide loading photos and a seal number?
Yes, for every container, on the day of stuffing: container number, empty box, stacking stages, door wall and the applied seal, together with the packing list.
Get today's FOB rate
Tell us the product, quantity and destination port. The export desk replies within 24 hours with price, MOQ, documents and transit time.
export@kohenoorint.com · +92 310 4929292 · Reply within 24 hours