Seeds ExporterDried Red Chillies exporter — Pakistan origin
Dried red chillies (Capsicum annuum) from Kunri, Sindh, the largest chilli market in Pakistan, are exported by Kohenoor International under HS 090421 as whole long, whole round and stemless grades, machine-clean and Sortex-sorted, in 25 kg and 50 kg bags. Main markets are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the UK.
Kunri chillies are known for deep red colour (ASTA 80–120) and medium pungency (25,000–40,000 SHU). Aflatoxin and Sudan-dye testing is carried out per lot for buyers who require it, and steam sterilisation is available through a partner facility.
Quick answer
Specification
Standard export specification for dried red chillies, 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 | Capsicum annuum |
| HS code | 090421 |
| Varieties / grades | Whole long, Whole round, Stemless |
| Purity | Machine clean |
| Germination | Not tested — edible / industrial grade |
| Grades | Whole long (Longi), whole round (Dandicut), stemless |
| Moisture | 11% max |
| Colour value | ASTA 80–120 |
| Pungency | 25,000–40,000 SHU (typical) |
| Pod length | 6–10 cm long; 2–3 cm round |
| Foreign matter | 1% max |
| Damaged / discoloured pods | 2% max |
| Broken pods | 5% max (whole grades) |
| Total ash | 8% max |
| Aflatoxin B1 / total | Tested per lot (EU 5 / 10 ppb) |
| Sudan dyes I–IV | Not detected |
| Steam sterilisation | Available via partner |
| Packing | 25 kg / 50 kg |
| MOQ | 1 x 20ft |
| Origin | Pakistan (Sindh / Punjab unless stated) |
Varieties and grades
Whole long (Longi). The classic Kunri long chilli, 6–10 cm, thin-walled, deep red, ASTA 80–120 and 25,000–40,000 SHU. Bought whole by Gulf, Malaysian and Indonesian spice traders for retail packing and by grinders for chilli powder with strong colour.
Whole round (Dandicut). Small round pods 2–3 cm across, thicker-walled and slightly hotter, the standard for Thai and Malaysian dried-chilli markets, sambal and curry pastes. Sortex-sorted for colour uniformity.
Stemless. Long chillies with stems removed by machine, packing about 15% denser and going straight to grinding lines for powder, crushed flakes and oleoresin extraction; the grade EU and UK grinders buy.
All grades are sun-dried in Kunri, cleaned on air-screen and Sortex lines, and can be steam-sterilised before shipment for buyers with microbial specifications.
Uses by industry
Who buys dried red chillies from Pakistan and what they do with it.
- Spice grinders and blenders. Stemless and whole long for chilli powder, crushed flakes, curry powder and seasoning blends in the UK, Gulf and South-East Asia.
- Paste and sauce makers. Dandicut round chillies for sambal, curry paste and chilli sauce in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
- Oleoresin extractors. Stemless grade for capsicum oleoresin (colour and capsaicin) in India and South-East Asia.
- Retail packers. Whole long chillies in 100 g to 1 kg retail packs for Gulf and diaspora retail.
- Pickle and snack makers. Whole and crushed chillies for pickles, achar and snack seasoning.
- Food service. Whole dried chillies for restaurant kitchens.
Quality control and testing
Dried Red Chillies is an edible or industrial product, so the release test is a certificate of analysis rather than a germination test. Our laboratory checks moisture, admixture and foreign matter, colour and size uniformity, bulk density and, where the buyer specifies it, oil content; an accredited third-party laboratory in Karachi runs microbiology (Salmonella spp., E. coli, total plate count, yeast and mould), aflatoxin B1 and total, pesticide-residue screens and, for EU and UK lots, ethylene oxide. Every lot passes Buhler Sortex optical sorting after air-screen cleaning and de-stoning, which is what takes admixture below 1% and removes discoloured seed, stems and stones.
Sampling follows the same rule as seed: at least 10% of bags, composite sample, 1 kg sealed reference retained for 12 months. The COA carries the lot number printed on the bags, and an MSDS is issued for the shipment. HACCP procedures cover the cleaning line, storage and bagging.
Chillies are released on a COA covering moisture, ASTA colour value, pungency (SHU by HPLC on request), foreign matter, damaged pods, total ash, aflatoxin B1 and total at an accredited laboratory and a Sudan I–IV dye screen; EU and UK lots add a pesticide MRL screen and, where required, ethylene oxide. Pods are air-screened, de-stoned and Sortex-sorted to remove discoloured and mouldy pods, then metal-detected before bagging under HACCP; steam sterilisation is arranged at a partner facility for buyers with a total plate count specification.
How to verify on arrival. Take a composite sample from at least 10 bags, seal it, and send it to your usual food laboratory within 14 days. Moisture and admixture should be checked first because they are the parameters most likely to drift in transit; microbiology and residues are compared against the COA method and detection limit. If a result differs beyond method uncertainty, send the report and bag labels within 30 days and we re-test the retained reference sample at the same accredited laboratory.
Packing, loading and shipping
Standard packing for dried red chillies is 25 kg / 50 kg, 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 8–10 MT (about 320 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 18–20 MT (40ft HC). 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. Dried chillies hold colour for 12 months in sealed lined bags in a cool, dark store below 20 °C; ASTA value falls by 10–20% a year at ambient tropical temperatures. Cold storage (5–10 °C) is used for prior-crop stock. Keep bags sealed to prevent moisture uptake and mould.
| Container | Net cargo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | 8–10 MT | about 320 x 25 kg per 20ft; loose on kraft-paper floor |
| 40ft / 40ft HC | 18–20 MT (40ft HC) | Weight-limited on dense seed; volume-limited on light seed |
| Palletised (any size) | ≈ 10% less | ISPM 15 pallets, shrink-wrapped and strapped |
| LCL / air | 3 MT LCL | Higher per-kg rate; used for trial lots |
Documents and import compliance
Every container of dried red chillies 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 certificate of analysis and MSDS, 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 |
| Malaysia | DOA Malaysia | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 10–14 days sea |
| Indonesia | Barantan | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; SIP import permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 12–16 days sea |
| Thailand | DOA Thailand | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; Import permit; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 12–16 days sea |
| United Kingdom | APHA / DEFRA | Phytosanitary certificate; Certificate of origin; IPAFFS pre-notification; commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading | 22–26 days sea |
HS classification. Dried whole chillies are HS 0904.21 (fruits of the genus Capsicum, dried, neither crushed nor ground); crushed or ground chilli is 0904.22. EU and UK imports enter as food with a COA and CHED-D; the EU applies increased official controls on certain Capsicum origins for aflatoxin and pesticides, so the analytical report must accompany the consignment. Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand require an import permit and phytosanitary certificate; the Gulf clears on COA, certificate of origin and phytosanitary certificate. Duty is zero in the EU (GSP+) and low in the Gulf and South-East Asia.
Season, new crop and availability
Harvest runs November–February in Kunri; sun-dried and cleaned lots ship from January. New-crop colour is at its peak January–April. Prior-crop stock is available through the year from cold storage to hold colour and is stated as prior crop on the pro forma with its current ASTA value.
Gulf and South-East Asian traders contract most volume January–March; EU grinders buy through the year. Reserve new-crop grade by November.
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 dried red chillies 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. Price follows ASTA colour value and the season: high-colour new-crop stemless and Sortex whole long cost more than machine-clean; Dandicut is priced separately on the Thai and Malaysian market. Steam sterilisation, aflatoxin and pesticide panels are itemised. Freight per kg is high because a 20ft carries only 8–10 MT.
- 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
Spice importers who buy chillies from Pakistan usually take cumin and fennel from the same supplier; the table compares the three on the points that drive the buying decision.
| Criterion | Dried Red Chillies | <a href="/products/cumin/">Cumin Seed</a> | <a href="/products/fennel/">Fennel Seed</a> |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | Nov–Feb | Mar–Apr | Mar–Apr |
| Key grading metric | ASTA colour, SHU | Volatile oil, Sortex purity | Bold green colour, oil |
| Moisture std | 11% max | 9% max | 9% max |
| Main tests | Aflatoxin, Sudan dyes, pesticides | Aflatoxin, pesticides | Pesticides |
| 20ft / 40ft HC load | 8–10 / 18–20 MT | 15–16 / 24–25 MT | 12–14 / 20–22 MT |
| Steam sterilisation | Available | Available | Available |
| HS | 090421 | 090931 | 090961 |
Markets served
Kohenoor has shipped dried red chillies to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, United Kingdom. Demand comes from spice traders and grinders in the Gulf, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, and from UK grinders and paste makers serving South Asian and South-East Asian food markets. 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 dried red chillies are published on our specialist site herbnseed.com. 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 pungency are Pakistani dried chillies?
Kunri long chillies are medium-hot, about 25,000–40,000 SHU, with high colour value (ASTA 80–120). Dandicut round chillies are slightly hotter. Milder or hotter lots can be selected on request and SHU confirmed by HPLC.
How many kg of dried chillies fit in a container?
Whole dried chillies are bulky: about 8–10 MT in a 20ft and 18–20 MT in a 40ft high-cube when pressed into 25 kg bags. Stemless grade packs about 15% denser. See the loading guide.
Do you test for aflatoxin and Sudan dyes?
Yes, on request and always for EU/UK buyers. Sampling and testing are done by an accredited laboratory in Karachi and reports are attached to the certificate of analysis; EU lots also get a pesticide MRL screen.
Can chillies be steam-sterilised before shipment?
Steam sterilisation is available through a partner facility for buyers who need reduced microbial counts; it adds about 10 days to lead time and is quoted separately. Colour value drops slightly after sterilisation.
What is the difference between Longi and Dandicut chillies?
Longi is the 6–10 cm long, thin-walled Kunri chilli with high colour and medium heat, used whole and for powder. Dandicut is a small round chilli, thicker-walled and slightly hotter, the standard for Thai and Malaysian paste and sambal markets.
Do you supply stemless chillies for grinding?
Yes. Stems are removed by machine, the grade packs 15% denser and goes straight to grinding lines for powder, flakes and oleoresin. It is what EU and UK grinders specify.
When is new-crop chilli available?
From January after the November–February harvest and sun-drying; colour is at its peak January–April. Prior-crop stock is held in cold storage through the year and sold with its current ASTA value.
How should dried chillies be stored on arrival?
Sealed lined bags in a cool, dark store below 20 °C, ideally 5–10 °C for stock held more than three months. Colour value falls 10–20% a year at tropical ambient temperatures and mould develops if bags absorb moisture.
What documents does Malaysia or Indonesia require?
An import permit issued to the importer (DOA Malaysia, or Indonesia's SIP), a phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, COA, packing list, invoice and bill of lading. Halal certification is arranged on request.
Can I get chilli powder or flakes instead of whole pods?
Crushed flakes and powder can be milled to order through a partner facility under HS 090422, with the same aflatoxin and Sudan-dye testing. Most importers grind locally because whole pods hold colour longer in transit.
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