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Seed availability calendar: when each crop ships from Pakistan

Pakistan has two seed seasons. Winter-sown forage legumes and grasses (alfalfa, berseem, Persian clover, ryegrass) are harvested April–June and new crop ships from June. Summer-sown crops (sorghum, Johnson grass, pearl millet, sesbania, guar, rhodes grass, Panicum, Brachiaria) are harvested September–November and ship from November, the tropical grasses after a dormancy rest. Spices come in between: fenugreek, fennel, cumin, nigella and cress in March–April, sesame in October–November, castor in November–January. The calendar below shows, for every product, the months of harvest, new-crop shipping and prior-crop stock.

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Alfalfa seed field in Sindh before harvest
Exporting since 1957ISO 9001 · HACCPISTA seed lab70+ countries servedFOB / CIF Karachi

Month-by-month calendar

H = harvest and cleaning (new crop not yet released). N = new-crop seed shipping. P = prior-crop stock shipping, re-tested before dispatch. Months are for loading at Karachi; add transit from the import guide for arrival.

ProductJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Alfalfa (Lucerne) SeedPPPHHNNNNNNN
Sprouting Alfalfa Seed (food grade)PPPHHHNNNNNN
Berseem Clover SeedPPPHHNNNNNNN
Persian Clover SeedPPPHHNNNNNNN
Rhodes Grass SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Sorghum & Sudan Grass SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Sesbania SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Guar SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Ryegrass SeedPPPHHNNNNNNN
Hybrid Pearl Millet (Baymisaal)NNNNPPPPHHNN
Sesame SeedNNNNNPPPPHHN
Fenugreek SeedPPHHNNNNNNPP
Dried Rose Petals & BudsPPPHHNNNNNNP
Pine NutsNNNPPPPPPHNN
Himalayan Pink SaltNNNNNNNNNNNN
Dried Red ChilliesNNNNNNPPPPHH
Nigella (Kalonji) SeedPPHHNNNNNNPP
Licorice RootNNNNNNNNNNNN
Dried Sea Buckthorn BerriesNNNPPPPPHHNN
Ephedra (Ma Huang) HerbNNNPPPPPHHNN
Cumin SeedPPHHNNNNNNPP
Basil (Tukhm‑e‑Balanga) SeedNNNNPPPPPHHN
Cress (Garden Cress / Halim) SeedPPHHNNNNNNPP
Fennel SeedPPHHNNNNNNPP
Castor SeedNNNNNNPPPPHH
Panicum (Guinea / Mombasa Grass) SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Brachiaria (Signal / Ruzi / Mulato type) SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN
Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense) SeedNNNNPPPPHHNN

Seasons by product group

The same information as sowing, harvest and shipping windows. Dates shift by two to three weeks between early and late years.

Product groupSownHarvestNew crop ships fromPrior-crop stock
Alfalfa, sprouting alfalfa, berseem, Persian clover, ryegrassOct–NovApr–JunJune (sprouting grade July)Jan–May, re-tested quarterly
Sorghum, Johnson grass, pearl millet, sesbania, guar, rhodes grassMar–JulSep–NovNovemberMay–Oct
Panicum (Mombasa), BrachiariaMar–MaySep–Nov (+ Apr–May)November, after dormancy break (Brachiaria autumn crop from March)Year-round, tetrazolium viability on pro forma
CastorJun–AugNov–JanJanuary (sowing grade February)Apr–Dec
Sesame, basil seedJun–JulOct–NovDecemberJun–Nov
Fenugreek, fennel, cumin, nigella, garden cressOct–Nov (cress to Feb)Mar–AprMay (cress food grade June)Nov–Apr
Dried rose petalsPerennialApr–MayJuneDec–May, colour-graded
Pine nuts (chilgoza)WildOct–DecNovember (kernels December)Apr–Oct, limited
Dried red chilliesJun–JulNov–FebJanuaryJul–Dec from cold store
Licorice rootWild / semi-cultivatedOct–Mar (digging)Year-roundYear-round
Sea buckthorn, ephedraWildSep–NovNovemberApr–Oct, limited
Himalayan pink saltMinedYear-roundYear-roundYear-round
Kohenoor R&D trial plots for forage varieties

How to time an order

Work backwards from your sowing date. For an October alfalfa sowing in the Gulf: arrival by mid-September, sailing by early September, loading by late August, order and payment by late July. For a March sorghum sowing: order by December so that new-crop seed loads in January. Buyers who reserve new-crop volume before harvest get first allocation and a fixed price; buyers who order after harvest take what is left at the prevailing rate. See how pricing works.

  • Gulf autumn sowing (alfalfa, berseem, rhodes): order Jul–Aug, load Aug–Sep
  • Gulf spring sowing (sorghum, pearl millet): order Dec–Jan, load Jan–Feb
  • East Africa long rains (sorghum, rhodes): order Nov–Dec, load Dec–Jan
  • Central Asia spring (alfalfa, Sudan grass, ryegrass): order Jan–Feb, rail Feb–Mar
  • Southern hemisphere (guar, sorghum to Argentina, Brazil): order Jul–Aug, load Aug–Sep
  • Sprout growers, spice buyers: year-round, new crop as shown

Prior-crop seed: what it means

Seed sold between seasons is from the previous harvest, held in our moisture-controlled warehouse in sealed lined bags. Alfalfa, clovers and sesbania hold germination for two years or more under these conditions; sorghum, pearl millet and ryegrass for 12–18 months. Every prior-crop lot is re-tested before dispatch and the report date on the ISTA-format certificate is never older than 90 days at loading. We tell you the crop year on the pro forma; we do not describe prior-crop seed as new crop.

Re-testing stored seed for germination before dispatch

Frequently asked questions

When is new-crop alfalfa seed available from Pakistan?

From 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. Sprouting-grade lots follow in July after microbial testing.

When is new-crop sorghum and pearl millet seed available?

From November. Summer-sown seed crops are harvested September–November; first new-crop containers load in November for Gulf and African buyers sowing in spring.

Can I buy alfalfa seed in March?

Yes, from prior-crop stock harvested the previous April–June, stored under moisture control and re-tested before dispatch. It carries the same purity and germination guarantee as new crop.

How far ahead should I book new-crop seed?

Two to three months before harvest for a fixed price and first allocation: by March for the winter-crop harvest (alfalfa, berseem, ryegrass), by August for the summer-crop harvest (sorghum, guar, sesbania, rhodes).

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