Seeds ExporterAlfalfa (Lucerne) Seed exporter — Pakistan origin
Kohenoor International exports Pakistani-grown alfalfa (lucerne) seed of the KN92 and TAIZTAR varieties from Hyderabad, Sindh, at 99% minimum purity and 85% minimum germination. Each lot ships with an ISTA-format test report from our in-house laboratory, a nil-dodder declaration and a DPP phytosanitary certificate drafted to the importer's permit.
Non-dormant Pakistani alfalfa (dormancy class 8–9) is bred for hot, irrigated conditions and gives 8–10 cuts a year under pivot in the Gulf and Sudan. Multiplication is contracted across our farmer network in Sindh and southern Punjab from foundation seed we produce ourselves, and every lot is cleaned on Buhler Sortex lines before the lab sees it.
Quick answer
Specification
Standard export specification for alfalfa (lucerne) seed, as it appears on the pro forma invoice and the lot report. Custom specifications (higher purity, treated seed, different pack, private label) are quoted on request.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Medicago sativa |
| HS code | 121410 |
| Varieties / grades | KN92, TAIZTAR |
| Purity | 99% min |
| Germination | 85% min |
| Dormancy class | 8–9 (non-dormant) |
| Moisture | 10% max |
| Inert matter | 1% max |
| Other crop seed | 0.5% max |
| Weed seed | 0.5% max |
| Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) | Nil in 500 g, Sortex-checked |
| Thousand-seed weight | 2.1–2.3 g (approx. 440,000–480,000 seeds/kg) |
| Colour / appearance | Uniform olive-yellow, bright, no shrivelled seed |
| Hard seed | 10% max, counted as germinated per ISTA |
| Seed treatment | None (Rhizobium inoculant on request) |
| Sowing rate | 25–30 kg/ha irrigated |
| Packing | 25 kg / 50 kg PP bags |
| MOQ | 1 x 20ft (18–20 MT) |
| Origin | Pakistan (Sindh / Punjab unless stated) |
Varieties and grades
KN92. The Kohenoor-bred, NARC-registered workhorse of the Gulf dairy sector: non-dormant (class 9), fast regrowth after cutting, cut every 25–30 days under pivot or flood irrigation for 8–10 cuts a year, 20–25 t dry matter per hectare in a full year. It tolerates the alkaline, moderately saline soils of the Indus plain and the Gulf coast (EC up to about 6 dS/m) and stands 40 °C summers with adequate water. Buyers choose KN92 for green chop, silage and mixed rations on dairy farms in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, and it is the variety most government forage programmes in Sudan and Iraq specify by name.
TAIZTAR. A taller, later-flowering, slightly more upright type with thicker stems and a longer interval between cuts. It gives more bulk per cut and dries more evenly, so hay makers and bale exporters in Saudi Arabia and Egypt prefer it, and it suits the two-cut spring systems of Central Asia where a large first cut matters more than regrowth speed. TAIZTAR also carries slightly better cold tolerance than KN92 for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and northern Iran.
Both varieties are supplied at the same 99% / 85% standard; a food-grade KN92 lot cleaned to 99.5% for sprout growers is listed separately as sprouting alfalfa seed.
Uses by industry
Who buys alfalfa (lucerne) seed from Pakistan and what they do with it.
- Dairy and feedlot. Green chop and silage on pivot-irrigated dairy farms in the Gulf; KN92 cut every 25–30 days supplies 18–20% crude-protein forage year-round and replaces imported hay in the ration.
- Hay and bale exporters. TAIZTAR for baled hay sold to camel, horse and small-ruminant owners; the taller type dries faster and bales cleaner.
- Government and NGO forage programmes. 50 kg bags for distribution to smallholders in Sudan, Iraq, Egypt and Ethiopia, usually under tender with SGS pre-shipment inspection.
- Seed multiplication. Foundation-grade KN92 for seed companies in Central Asia and East Africa that multiply locally; supplied with variety identity and isolation history.
- Sprouting and food. Food-grade lots of the same variety, double-cleaned and microbially tested, for sprout growers; see the sprouting alfalfa page.
Quality control and testing
Every lot of alfalfa (lucerne) seed offered for export is tested in Kohenoor's own laboratory in Hyderabad to the ISTA International Rules: a submitted sample of at least 1 kg drawn with a stick trier from a minimum of 10% of bags, purity analysis by species on a working sample (pure seed, other crop seed, weed seed and inert matter by weight), germination on 4 x 100 seeds in a controlled chamber for the prescribed period, moisture by the oven method and a thousand-seed weight. Forage legumes and small-seeded grasses also get a separate 500 g count for dodder (Cuscuta spp.) and other quarantine weed seed, which is the item most import permits ask about. Results go on an ISTA-format report with the lot number that appears on the bag labels, packing list and phytosanitary certificate.
Before the lab sees the lot it has been through air-screen cleaning, a gravity table and Buhler Sortex optical sorting, which removes off-colour, immature and weed seed that sieving cannot. A lot that misses the specification is re-sorted or dropped from export; it is never blended up. Prior-crop lots are re-tested before dispatch and no container leaves on a report older than 90 days.
Specific to alfalfa, the lab also reports hard-seed percentage (counted as viable under ISTA rules but reported separately because it affects field emergence), a dodder count on a 500 g sample rather than the 100 g working sample, and the presence of other legume seed such as clover or melilotus, which some Gulf permits treat as other crop seed. Buyers who need a declaration of freedom from Ditylenchus dipsaci (stem nematode) or Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. insidiosus get it on the phytosanitary certificate after field inspection and lab examination.
How to verify on arrival. Draw a composite sample from at least 10 bags with a trier, seal and label it with the lot number, and test within 14 days at your NPPO or any ISTA-accredited station. Compare against the report using the ISTA tolerance tables (about 6 percentage points between two 400-seed germination tests at the 85% level, 0.5–1.0 points for purity at 99%). If a result falls outside tolerance, send the report and the sealed bag labels within 30 days; we re-test the 1 kg reference sample we keep from every lot for 12 months and settle any confirmed difference by price adjustment or replacement.
Packing, loading and shipping
Standard packing for alfalfa (lucerne) seed is 25 kg / 50 kg PP bags, in woven polypropylene bags with an inner polyethylene liner. Each pack is printed or labelled with product, variety or grade, lot number, net weight, origin (Pakistan), exporter and any text the importing country's labelling rules require, and closed with a sewn tear-off tag. Private-label printing is available with artwork two weeks before loading.
A 20ft container carries about 18–20 MT (about 720 x 25 kg per 20ft) loose-stacked on a kraft-paper floor in a brick pattern with a cardboard door wall; a 40ft carries about 26–27 MT. Palletised loads on ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets take roughly 10% less and are used for Europe, East Asia, North America and Australia where the container is unloaded by forklift. Desiccant bags are added for humid destinations on request. Every stuffing is photographed from empty box to applied seal and the photos go to the buyer the same day with the packing list. Full figures for every product are in the container loading guide.
Storage and shelf life. Alfalfa seed at 10% moisture in lined bags holds 85% germination for two years or more in a dry store below 25 °C. In a port shed at 35 °C and high humidity it can lose 10 points in a season, so plan cool, dry storage or sow within three months of arrival.
| Container | Net cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 18–20 MT | about 720 x 25 kg per 20ft; loose on kraft-paper floor |
| 40ft / 40ft HC | 26–27 MT | Weight-limited on dense seed; volume-limited on light seed |
| Palletised (any size) | ≈ 10% less | ISPM 15 pallets, shrink-wrapped and strapped |
| LCL / air | 5 MT LCL, higher rate | Higher per-kg rate; used for trial lots |
Documents and import compliance
Every container of alfalfa (lucerne) seed leaves with the phytosanitary certificate from the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) Karachi carrying the importer's additional-declaration wording, a certificate of origin from the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce, the ISTA-format purity and germination report, commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading, plus a fumigation certificate and pre-shipment inspection report where the destination requires them. The table lists what the main destinations for this product ask for; the documents guide explains each certificate and the import guide shows the sequence.
| Country | Authority | Documents required | Transit from Karachi |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | MOCCAE | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; ISTA test report; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 7–10 days sea from Karachi |
| Saudi Arabia | MEWA / SFDA | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; SABER registration where applicable; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 8–12 days sea |
| Oman | MAFWR | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 5–8 days sea |
| Qatar | MME | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 8–11 days sea |
| Kuwait | PAAFR | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 9–12 days sea |
| Iraq | Ministry of Agriculture | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Pre-shipment inspection; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 10–14 days sea |
| Egypt | CAPQ | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 12–16 days sea |
| Sudan | Plant Protection Directorate | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 10–14 days sea |
| Iran | PPO Iran | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import licence; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 3–5 days sea / road via Taftan |
| Uzbekistan | Agroinspection | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import quarantine permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 12–20 days road/rail |
HS classification. Alfalfa seed for sowing is HS 1214.10 (lucerne meal and pellets share the heading; the seed sub-heading is 121410 in most national tariffs; some customs administrations use 120929). Seed for sowing enters duty-free in the GCC states, Iraq, Egypt (with permit), the EU and the UK; Pakistan's GSP+ status covers EU entry against a certificate of origin. Declare the same code on the permit, invoice and import declaration to avoid a hold.
Season, new crop and availability
Alfalfa for seed is sown in October–November, cut once for forage in spring, then left to set seed. Harvest runs April–June and new-crop seed is available from late June after cleaning and a 10-day germination test. From January to May we ship the previous crop, held in bonded, moisture-controlled storage with germination re-tested every quarter and stated as prior crop on the pro forma.
Gulf buyers sowing in October should order by July for August–September loading; Central Asian buyers sowing in March order by December for rail delivery in February. Buyers who reserve new-crop volume before harvest (by March) get first allocation and a fixed price.
The availability calendar shows every product month by month, and prior-crop lots are always described as such on the pro forma.
Price factors and how to get today's rate
Kohenoor does not publish a price for alfalfa (lucerne) seed because a price is only meaningful for a specific lot, grade, pack, quantity and date. A firm FOB Karachi or CIF quote in USD per kg or per MT comes back within 24 hours of an enquiry and is held for 7–14 days. What moves the number, in order of size:
- Crop year and timing. Pre-harvest bookings are fixed and usually lowest; spot prices rise in a short crop or when prior-crop stock runs down before new crop. Difference between the two can be 15–20%.
- Grade and purity. Forage grade 99% / 85% is the base; foundation-grade seed with field-inspection records and food-grade 99.5% / 90% lots cost more because of double cleaning and extra tests. TAIZTAR and KN92 are priced within a few percent of each other in a normal year.
- Packing. 25 kg loose bags are the base; 50 kg is slightly cheaper per kg; 10 kg, cartons, private label and palletising add 2–8%.
- Quantity. Each additional container in one contract is priced 2–5% lower; LCL lots cost 20–40% more per kg because inspection, documents and handling are the same for 2 MT as for 20 MT.
- Incoterm. FOB Karachi is the base; CIF adds freight and insurance at the current line rate for your port; road delivery to Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia is priced per truck.
- Tests and treatment. Third-party COA, residue or aflatoxin panels, SGS inspection, fumigation and seed treatment are itemised at cost.
Samples. 200 g to 1 kg from the offered lot is free against courier charges (typically USD 40–90) and goes out with the current report. Larger trial lots are invoiced at the container rate. The full logic, MOQ table and sample policy are on seed prices and MOQ.
How this compares
A Gulf or African dairy importer usually weighs alfalfa against berseem for winter fodder and against rhodes grass for hay. The short version: alfalfa is the perennial, highest-protein option; berseem is the cheapest single-season winter crop; rhodes is the hay grass that tolerates salinity and rough handling.
| Criterion | Alfalfa (Lucerne) Seed | <a href="/products/berseem-clover/">Berseem Clover Seed</a> | <a href="/products/rhodes-grass/">Rhodes Grass Seed</a> |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Perennial legume, 3–5 years | Annual winter legume | Perennial grass |
| Crude protein (green) | 18–22% | 16–20% | 8–12% |
| Cuts per year (irrigated) | 8–10 | 5–6 (Nov–May) | 6–8 |
| Sowing rate | 25–30 kg/ha | 25–30 kg/ha | 8–12 kg/ha |
| Salinity tolerance | Moderate (EC 6) | Moderate | Good (EC 8–10) |
| Best use | Green chop, silage, hay | Winter green chop | Baled hay, pasture |
| 20ft load | 18–20 MT | 18–20 MT | 12–14 MT |
Markets served
Kohenoor has shipped alfalfa (lucerne) seed to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Kenya, Ethiopia. Demand is driven by the Gulf dairy and camel sector, government fodder programmes in Sudan, Iraq and Egypt, and seed companies in Central Asia and East Africa that multiply non-dormant varieties locally. Each destination has its own permit and phytosanitary wording; the country pages under markets summarise them and we prepare the certificate to match before DPP inspection.
Specialist site and further reading
Detailed agronomy, variety trials and technical downloads for alfalfa (lucerne) seed are published on our specialist site alfalfaseeds.org. Variety-level agronomy (sowing rate, cutting schedule, seed standards, trial data) is on our reference site worldseed.net: alfalfa kn92, alfalfa taiztar. For pricing, MOQ and shipping use the quote form on this page; the lab and sorting line are described on the quality page, and all 28 lines are listed under products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between KN92 and TAIZTAR alfalfa?
KN92 is the non-dormant workhorse: fast regrowth, 8–10 cuts a year under irrigation, and the choice for most Gulf dairy farms. TAIZTAR grows taller and flowers later, which suits hay makers who want more bulk per cut and buyers in cooler Central Asian zones. Both are supplied at 99% purity and 85% germination.
Is Pakistani alfalfa seed dodder-free?
Every export lot passes over Buhler Sortex optical sorters and is checked in the lab on a 500 g sample. We certify nil dodder on the ISTA-format report, and the phytosanitary certificate carries an additional declaration for Cuscuta spp. where the importing country requires it, for example Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Australia.
How much alfalfa seed fits in a 20ft container?
In 25 kg PP bags loaded loose, 18–20 MT (720–800 bags). Palletised loads take about 10% less. A 40ft container carries 26–27 MT before hitting road-weight limits, so a 20ft is usually the better value for alfalfa.
What dormancy class is Pakistani alfalfa?
KN92 is class 9 and TAIZTAR class 8–9 on the 1–11 fall-dormancy scale, so both are non-dormant and keep growing through mild winters. They are the right choice for the Gulf, North and East Africa and lowland Central Asia, not for climates with hard frosts and snow cover.
Can you supply alfalfa seed in 50 kg bags with a private label?
Yes. 25 kg and 50 kg PP bags are standard; we print the buyer's brand, variety, lot number and the importing country's labelling text. Artwork is needed two weeks before loading.
Is the seed inoculated or treated?
Seed is supplied clean and untreated by default because several importing countries restrict treated seed. Rhizobium meliloti inoculant can be supplied separately or pre-applied on request for fields that have not grown alfalfa before.
What germination will the seed show on arrival?
The same as the certificate within ISTA tolerance if the seed has been kept dry. Every lot is tested within 90 days of loading, ships at 10% moisture or less in lined bags, and we retain a reference sample so that any dispute can be re-tested on the same seed.
When is new-crop alfalfa seed available from Pakistan?
From late June. Harvest runs April–June, cleaning and germination testing take three to four weeks, and the first new-crop containers load in the second half of June. Between January and May we ship re-tested prior-crop stock and say so on the pro forma.
What sowing rate do you recommend for KN92?
25–30 kg/ha for a drilled stand under pivot or flood irrigation, 30–35 kg/ha broadcast, at 1–1.5 cm depth into a firm seedbed. At 440,000–480,000 seeds per kg that gives roughly 1,100–1,400 seeds per square metre.
Do you ship alfalfa seed to Central Asia by road?
Yes. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are served by truck and rail via Torkham–Termez or via Iran in 12–22 days. An EAEU or national quarantine import permit is needed and the phytosanitary certificate is drafted to its wording.
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