MOQ tiers
| Tier | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | 500 kg LCL | — |
| Standard FCL | 1 × 20'FCL ≈ 22 MT | — |
| Programme | 3–8 × 20'FCL / season | — |
Red Clover Seeds Exporter & Wholesale Supplier — 35+ Origins, 80+ Destinations
Kehkashan exports red clover (Trifolium pratense) seeds from origin partners in the USA Pacific Northwest, Italy, Denmark, France, and New Zealand — supplied in bulk FCL or LCL with FOB Jebel Ali, CFR, or CIF terms to cool-temperate pasture and dairy programs across 80+ destinations.
- 35+ origins
- 80+ destinations
- ISTA / OECD certified
- LC at sight (USD/EUR)
Reference image. Sample lots and product-specific photography available on RFQ.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Trifolium pratense
- Also known as
- البرسيم الأحمر, клевер красный
- HS code
- 1209.22
- Common varieties
- Mammoth, Medium Red, Kenland
- Origins available
- USA, Canada, Germany, Poland, Latvia, New Zealand
- MOQ
- 1 × 20'FCL
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg PP bag
- Specs
- Purity: 99% min, Germination: 85% min
- Lead time
- 14–21 days from PO confirmation
- Incoterms
- FOB Jebel Ali · CFR · CIF · DAP
- Payment terms
- LC at sight · TT · DP
Specification & container math
FOB pricing bands (RFQ)
| Grade | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| European common (Polish / German) | RFQ — entry tier |
| USA Pacific NW (Mammoth, Kenland) | RFQ — mid tier |
| NZ certified Medium Red | RFQ — premium tier |
Lead times — top destinations
| Discharge port | Transit | Incoterm |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburg / Antwerp (FOB) | 0 days | FOB |
| Jebel Ali (UAE) | 21–28 days | CFR / CIF |
| Jeddah Islamic Port (KSA) | 24–32 days | CFR / CIF |
| Mombasa (Kenya) | 28–35 days | CFR / CIF |
| Novorossiysk (Russia) | 14–21 days | CFR / CIF |
- Packaging formats
- 25 kg PP bag
- Container capacity
- 20'FCL: 22 MT
Documentation set per shipment
Every container leaves UAE Free Zone with the document pack below. Additional certificates (Halal, SASO conformity, BRC, organic, FairWild, etc.) are added on request before vessel loading.
- Bill of Lading (BL) — original 3/3 set
- Commercial Invoice — UAE Free Zone issued
- Packing List with lot codes per pallet
- Certificate of Origin (CoO) — Dubai Chamber attested
- Phytosanitary Certificate — origin NPPO
- ISTA Certificate of Analysis (purity, germination, dodder)
- OECD Seed Scheme tag (for OECD-eligible varieties)
- Fall-dormancy declaration (alfalfa / clover only)
- Fumigation Certificate
- GMO / Non-GMO declaration
- Form A (GSP) where applicable
Red clover seed origins: USA Pacific Northwest, Europe, New Zealand
Red clover seed leaves Oregon and Idaho in the Pacific Northwest, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and New Zealand. Russian and Kazakh feed mills take Polish and German common lots on price. Ethiopian highland silage programs and Kenyan Rift Valley dairies specify Kenland. New Zealand certified Medium Red goes to seed distributors repacking for retail.
Diploid versus tetraploid red clover cultivars and certified grades
Mammoth, Medium Red, and Kenland are diploid types with 1.7 gram thousand-seed weight. Tetraploid releases such as Amos, Larus, and the New Zealand Pawera carry larger seed, thicker stems, and higher yield per cut. OECD-certified lots carry a blue tag and variety name; common-grade lots are sold as Trifolium pratense without cultivar claim.
What an ISTA Certificate of Analysis for red clover states
The COA declares species, cultivar, purity at 99 percent minimum, germination at 85 percent minimum on a seven-day count, and hard seed percentage, typically 5 to 15 percent. Other-crop seed sits below 0.1 percent, inert matter below 1 percent, and dodder (Cuscuta) is declared absent. European lots add the OECD scheme certificate.
Red clover use cases: silage, hay, pasture mixes, green manure
Dairy operators in the Ethiopian highlands and Kenyan Rift Valley cut red clover for silage with ryegrass. Russian and Kazakh feed mills contract Medium Red for two-cut hay. Seed distributors in Poland and the Baltics blend it with timothy for pasture mixes. Organic vegetable growers in Europe sow Mammoth as a one-season nitrogen-fixing plough-down.
Transit times for red clover from Hamburg and Jebel Ali
European red clover loads at Hamburg or Antwerp and reaches Jebel Ali in 21 to 28 days, Novorossiysk in 14 to 21 days. Lots consolidated at Jebel Ali sail to Jeddah in 5 to 8 days and Mombasa in 12 to 18 days. Pacific Northwest lots add 18 to 25 days inland to loadport.
How red clover seed is priced FOB, CFR, and CIF
Red clover is quoted per kilogram against an RFQ as FOB Hamburg, FOB Jebel Ali, CFR, or CIF destination. Price moves on origin tier (European common, Pacific Northwest, New Zealand certified), diploid or tetraploid genetics, crop-year freshness after July-to-September harvest, and container count. December annual contracts price below spot; LCL carries a handling surcharge.
Sampling and approval flow before a red clover container loads
A 1 to 2 kilogram sample ships by courier with the origin ISTA report and cultivar certificate. The buyer confirms germination and hard seed in-house or at SGS. On signed approval a proforma opens against LC at sight or TT advance. A fresh ISTA test dated within six months of shipment accompanies the container.
Red clover seed tonnage per 20-foot FCL, 40-foot HC, LCL
Red clover seed has a bulk density near 750 to 800 kilograms per cubic metre, so weight limits before volume. A 20-foot FCL carries about 22 metric tonnes in 25 kilogram PP bags; a 40-foot high-cube reaches 26 tonnes before the road-weight cap. LCL trials start at 500 kilograms consolidated at Jebel Ali.
Import compliance for red clover into Russia, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia
Russian buyers clear Rosselkhoznadzor phytosanitary inspection at Novorossiysk and need the cultivar listed in the State Register. Kenya requires a KEPHIS plant import permit, its number printed on the phytosanitary certificate, and post-entry germination checks. Saudi importers file a MEWA seed-import permit and clear SASO conformity, with a dodder-free declaration on the phyto.
Procurement-team questions
Answers to the questions buyers ask us most often during RFQ and trial-shipment evaluation.
- Mammoth, Medium Red or Kenland — which red clover variety?
- Mammoth is a single-cut, tall-growing variety best for short-rotation hay or one-shot green-manure ploughdown. Medium Red is the workhorse for cool-temperate pasture — 2 to 3 cuts per season, persistent 2 to 3 years. Kenland (USA Kentucky release) is the disease-resistant Medium Red type best for humid temperate climates with anthracnose pressure. For Russian / CIS feed mills specify Medium Red. For Ethiopian highland silage, Kenland.
- Is red clover suitable for the Gulf?
- Red clover requires cool nights and is generally unsuitable for the lowland Gulf — soil temperature above 28 °C kills the stand. Saudi northern highlands (Tabuk, Al-Jouf) at 1,000+ m elevation can run a winter stand October through March. For Gulf dairy operators wanting clover, Persian or berseem clover are the better fits; we route red clover principally to Russian, Kazakh, Ethiopian highland, and Kenyan Rift Valley buyers.
- What about coumestrol / phytoestrogen content?
- Red clover contains formononetin and biochanin A isoflavones at higher levels than white or alfalfa. Most Medium Red varieties read 0.5–1.5% on dry-matter basis — generally fine for dairy and beef rations at < 30% diet inclusion. Sheep operators planning > 50% red clover diets should request the low-isoflavone NZ Pawera variety to avoid fertility concerns.
- How long from PO to vessel sailing from Hamburg?
- European-origin lots dispatch on the next available northbound sailing — typically 7–10 days from PO confirmation. Add 21–28 days transit to Jebel Ali. USA Pacific Northwest lots add 18–25 days inland US to West-Coast or East-Coast loadport. Total cycle from PO to delivered Jebel Ali runs 35–50 days depending on origin. We hold safety stock at Jebel Ali for high-rotation buyers.
- What quality certificate accompanies each shipment?
- Every red clover shipment carries an ISTA Certificate of Analysis confirming 99% minimum purity, 85% minimum germination, plus dodder-free declaration. European-origin lots add the EU PRP (Plant Reproductive Material) certificate. NZ origin adds the NZ MAF Phytosanitary plus IHS scheme tag. USA origin adds the AOSCA / OECD tag for OECD-eligible buyer countries.
Related buyer guides & trade briefs
Long-form guides written by the Kehkashan trade desk for buyers and procurement teams scoping origin trade-offs, variety codes, and documentation flows.
trade brief
Clover Seeds (Trifolium spp.) — Multi-Species Buyer's Guide 2026
Trade-desk reference for clover seed importers: Persian, Berseem, Red, White, Crimson — Pakistani and European origin economics, ISTA bands, dodder-freedom.
12 min readRead the guide →
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