Seeds ExporterSprouting seeds supplier: food-grade alfalfa, fenugreek, cress and basil
Kohenoor International supplies food-grade sprouting seed to commercial sprout and microgreen growers in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia: alfalfa KN92, fenugreek, garden cress and basil, all untreated, cleaned to 99.5% purity with nil dodder, 90% minimum germination, and tested per lot for Salmonella and E. coli O157. MOQ is 500 kg for alfalfa and 1 MT for the others, so a grower can trial before committing to a container.
Why sprouting seed is a separate product
A sprout grower eats the whole seed within a week of soaking, so the requirements differ from agricultural seed in four ways: no seed treatment of any kind; a microbial specification, because warm, wet sprouting conditions multiply any pathogen present; very high germination and speed, because an ungerminated seed in a sprout tray is waste and a mould risk; and near-zero weed seed, because a single weed seedling in a punnet is a customer complaint. Our sprouting lines are grown on selected low-weed fields, harvested at full maturity, double-cleaned on Sortex, stored separately from all treated seed, and released only after microbial results are back.
Sprouting seed specification
| Parameter | Alfalfa | Fenugreek | Cress | Basil |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | 99.5% min | 99.5% min | 99% min | 99% min |
| Germination | 90% min | 90% min | 90% min | 85% min |
| Weed seed / dodder | 0.1% max / nil | 0.1% max / nil | 0.2% max / nil | 0.2% max / nil |
| Moisture | 9% max | 9% max | 9% max | 8% max |
| Salmonella (25 g) | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| E. coli O157 (25 g) | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Seed treatment | None | None | None | None |
| Pack | 25 kg | 25 kg | 25 kg | 25 kg |
| MOQ | 500 kg | 1 MT | 1 MT | 1 MT |
| HS code | 121410 | 091099 | 120991 | 120991 |
Products
Sprouting Alfalfa Seed (food grade)
Food-grade KN92, 99.5% purity, 90% germination, Salmonella and E. coli tested per lot. MOQ 500 kg for sprout and microgreen growers.
Fenugreek Seed
Bold and machine-clean grades, 99% purity, plus sprouting and sowing grades. Spice, sprouting, feed and extraction for China, EU, US and Australia.
Basil (Tukhm‑e‑Balanga) Seed
Food-grade Ocimum basilicum seed, 99% purity, swelling ratio 1:20, Sortex-cleaned, 25 kg bags. For beverages, falooda and desserts.
Cress (Garden Cress / Halim) Seed
Lepidium sativum, food-grade sprouting and sowing grades, 99% purity, 90% germination, Salmonella tested. Sprouts, microgreens, halim.
Microbial testing and traceability
Each export lot is sampled by the lab and sent to an accredited third-party laboratory in Karachi for Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7 and total aerobic count. Results go on a certificate of analysis that travels with the ISTA-format germination report, and the lot number on both matches the bag labels. We retain a sealed 1 kg reference sample for 12 months. Buyers in Japan, Korea and the EU routinely re-test on arrival; where a result differs we accept the buyer's accredited lab as the reference and re-test the retained sample. Growers who run their own seed-decontamination step (calcium hypochlorite or hot water) get seed that has not been pre-treated in any way, which is what those protocols assume.
Import requirements by market
Sprouting seed is regulated as seed for sowing in most countries and as a food input in some, so the document set covers both.
| Market | Documents and rules | Transit from Karachi |
|---|---|---|
| EU (DE, FR, NL, PL) | Phytosanitary certificate; CHED-PP pre-notification in TRACES; sprout producers must be approved under Regulation (EU) 210/2013 and seed must meet 209/2013 microbiological criteria; import certificate per 211/2013 | 20–28 days |
| United Kingdom | Phytosanitary certificate; IPAFFS pre-notification; retained EU sprouting rules | 22–26 days |
| Japan | Phytosanitary certificate (MAFF Plant Protection); food-sanitation notification; microbial COA | 22–28 days |
| South Korea | Phytosanitary certificate (APQA); import declaration; microbial COA | 20–25 days |
| Taiwan | Phytosanitary certificate (BAPHIQ); microbial COA | 18–22 days |
| Australia | BICON import permit; phytosanitary certificate; ISPM 15 pallets | 20–28 days |
Ordering and storage
MOQ 500 kg alfalfa (one pallet, by LCL or air), 1 MT for garden cress and fenugreek, 2 MT for basil; full 20ft containers of 18–20 MT for large growers. Prices are per kg, FOB Karachi or CIF, and follow the logic on prices and MOQ. New-crop alfalfa sprouting seed is released from July, fenugreek and cress from June, basil from December; see the availability calendar. Store below 15 °C and 60% RH; alfalfa holds 90% germination for about 18 months under those conditions. Documents are described on the documents guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is your sprouting seed certified organic?
No. It is untreated and grown without post-harvest chemicals, but not certified organic. A dedicated certified-organic lot can be grown under EU or JAS rules with a 12-month lead time and a volume commitment.
What microbial tests do you run on sprouting seed?
Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7 (absent in 25 g) and total aerobic count, per export lot, at an accredited laboratory. Additional tests (Listeria, STEC panel) can be added at cost for buyers whose approval scheme requires them.
What germination speed can I expect from the alfalfa?
A 90% lot typically shows 85% or more radicle emergence at 48 hours at 22 °C, and full germination at 4 days. Uniform speed is what keeps trays even; we test germination energy as well as final germination.
Can I order less than a container of sprouting seed?
Yes. 500 kg alfalfa or 1 MT of the other lines ship as a pallet by LCL or air freight; most repeat buyers move to 5–10 MT LCL or a full 20ft.
Do you supply mixed sprouting seed blends?
We supply single-species seed. Growers blend at their own facility because blend ratios and decontamination steps differ by species and by customer.
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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