MOQ tiers
| Tier | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | 2 MT LCL | — |
| Standard FCL | 1 × 20'FCL ≈ 22–24 MT | — |
| Programme | 5–30 × 20'FCL / year | — |
Fenugreek Seeds Exporter & Wholesale Supplier — 35+ Origins, 80+ Destinations
Kehkashan exports fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds from origin partners in India, Pakistan, Morocco, and Egypt — supplied in bulk FCL or LCL with FOB Jebel Ali, CFR, or CIF terms to GCC culinary buyers and nutraceutical extractors 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
- Trigonella foenum-graecum
- Also known as
- Methi dana, حلبة, пажитник, fenogreco, feno-grego
- HS code
- 0910.99
- Common varieties
- AM-1, AM-2, Pusa Early Bunching, Methi Dana
- Origins available
- India, Morocco, Iran
- MOQ
- 1 × 20'FCL
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg PP bag, 50 kg jute bag
- Specs
- Purity: 99%, Moisture: < 10%, Admixture: < 1%
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Indian AM-1 / AM-2 (Gujarat) | RFQ — entry tier |
| Rajasthani Pusa Early Bunching | RFQ — mid tier |
| Moroccan / Egyptian premium | RFQ — premium tier |
Lead times — top destinations
| Discharge port | Transit | Incoterm |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi (Pakistan, FOB) | 0 days | FOB |
| Jebel Ali (UAE) | 4–6 days | CFR / CIF |
| Jeddah Islamic Port (KSA) | 8–12 days | CFR / CIF |
| Dammam (KSA) | 7–10 days | CFR / CIF |
| Mombasa (Kenya) | 14–20 days | CFR / CIF |
- Packaging formats
- 25 kg PP bag · 50 kg jute bag
- Container capacity
- 20'FCL: 22–24 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 / batch codes
- Certificate of Origin (CoO) — Dubai Chamber attested
- Phytosanitary Certificate — origin NPPO
- EU Aflatoxin test (B1 + total) per EC 1881/2006
- Steam-treatment / ETO-free declaration
- Pesticide-residue panel (where requested)
- Halal Certificate (where requested)
- Fumigation Certificate
Indian, Pakistani, Moroccan and Egyptian fenugreek: which buyer takes which origin
Rajasthan and Gujarat AM-1 lots cover most GCC retail packers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Sharjah. Sindh and southern Punjab landraces, shipped Karachi, price below Indian on comparable lab numbers and suit Yemeni and Omani hilbeh traders. Moroccan Saiss and Egyptian Delta seed goes to EU importers wanting shorter transit and cleaner residue history.
AM-1, AM-2, RMt-143 and Pusa Early Bunching fenugreek codes decoded
AM-1 from ICAR-NRCSS Ajmer is the 130-day pale-yellow workhorse on Gulf food-grade contracts. AM-2 carries a slightly larger seed and marginally higher saponin, so extractors ask for it by code. RMt-143 is the higher-yield 2024 release. Pusa Early Bunching is a leafy kasuri methi type, rarely the right answer for seed buyers.
Fenugreek COA fields: purity, moisture, saponin, aflatoxin and pesticide panel
Every fenugreek COA states variety, harvest year, purity 99 percent minimum, moisture below 10 percent and admixture below 1 percent. Saponin assay is added where extractors specify a floor. Aflatoxin B1 and total are reported in ppb against EC 1881/2006, and EU-bound lots add the Annex B pesticide panel with chlorpyrifos flagged.
Who buys fenugreek seed: hilbeh packers, extractors, feed mills, flavour houses
GCC culinary packers take sieve-graded whole seed for hilbeh and helba retail pouches. Nutraceutical extractors in Germany, the USA and India buy unprocessed seed on saponin-guaranteed annual contracts. Egyptian and southern European feed mills take 97 to 98 percent feed grade. Flavour houses source seed-grade lots for maple-type and savoury seasoning compounds.
Fenugreek transit days from Jebel Ali to Jeddah, Hamad, Mombasa, Hamburg
From Jebel Ali, fenugreek reaches Jeddah in 5 to 8 days, Hamad in 3 to 5 and Aqaba in 7 to 10. Mombasa runs 12 to 18 days, Alexandria 8 to 12, Hamburg 21 to 28, New York 28 to 35. Karachi-origin FCLs can also sail direct, skipping UAE consolidation.
What moves fenugreek FOB, CFR and CIF quotes between harvests
We quote FOB Jebel Ali or Karachi, CFR and CIF destination on one RFQ. The Rajasthan January harvest sets the annual floor; a weak prior monsoon lifts every band. Grade drives the rest: feed, food-grade Sortex, EU retail 99.5 percent and extract-grade with saponin guarantee each carry a step.
Fenugreek sampling and approval flow before the container is sealed
We courier a 1 to 2 kilogram fenugreek sample with a draft COA and sieve-fraction split. The buyer confirms by lab or visual inspection, then signs approval. Proforma invoice opens against LC at sight or TT advance. Loading at the Jebel Ali warehouse runs under our supervisor, with SGS or Bureau Veritas draw on request.
Fenugreek container math: 20-foot FCL, 40-foot HC and LCL trial lots
A 20-foot FCL holds 22 to 24 metric tonnes of fenugreek in 25 kilogram PP bags or 50 kilogram jute bags. A 40-foot high-cube usually hits the weight limit around 26 to 27 tonnes before it fills by volume. LCL trials start at 2 tonnes, consolidated at Jebel Ali before sailing.
Fenugreek import compliance: SFDA Saudi Arabia, EU TRACES, US FDA
Saudi importers clear SFDA food-import registration, with SASO conformity on retail-pack material and an attested commercial invoice. EU consignments enter under HS 0910.99 with a CHED-D on TRACES, fumigation certificate and aflatoxin results within EC 1881/2006 limits. US importers file FDA prior notice per entry and hold FSVP records for the origin supplier.
Procurement-team questions
Answers to the questions buyers ask us most often during RFQ and trial-shipment evaluation.
- What is the typical Gulf demand profile for fenugreek?
- GCC retail and food-processing demand splits roughly: 60% culinary whole seed (helba / hilba), 20% sprouting / methi-leaf production, 15% nutraceutical / diabetes-management extract feedstock, 5% animal-feed additive. UAE and Saudi retail packers take 4–8 FCLs per year of Indian AM-1 grade; Yemen and Oman traditional-medicine traders import from Iranian and Pakistani origins.
- How do you spec fenugreek for nutraceutical extraction?
- Specify total saponins (4-hydroxyisoleucine + diosgenin precursors) > 5%, galactomannan-soluble fibre > 25%, moisture < 10%, FFA < 2%. Indian Gujarat AM-1 typically tests 5.5–6.5% saponins; Moroccan tests 4.5–5%. Provide nutraceutical-buyer spec sheet pre-PO and we match origin / variety; routine shipments include a saponin assay COA from origin lab.
- Is bitterness a quality issue?
- Fenugreek bitterness comes from sotolon and 4-hydroxyisoleucine. High-bitterness lots (Iranian and Moroccan) are preferred by traditional-medicine and culinary buyers. Low-bitterness debittered lots (steam-treated) are used by sprouting and breakfast-cereal manufacturers. Specify "natural / standard bitterness" or "debittered" on PO; we ship the matching grade.
- Can you supply organic-certified fenugreek?
- Yes — Moroccan and Egyptian organic-certified Trigonella foenum-graecum is available with ECOCERT or USDA Organic certification at a 25–35% premium over conventional. Indian organic-certified (NPOP) is available at 15–25% premium. MOQ for organic is 5 MT LCL minimum because of segregated handling at origin and the Free Zone bonded warehouse.
- What sieve size grading do retail packers want?
- Gulf retail packers typically want uniform 3.5–4.5 mm sieve size — gives clean visual presentation in 100 g / 250 g pouches. We pre-grade Indian AM-1 lots through standard mesh sieves and route the smaller fraction (< 3.5 mm) to nutraceutical extractors who don't need visual uniformity. Specify "retail-graded" on PO at a small handling premium.
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
Fenugreek Seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum) — Buyer's Guide 2026
Trade-desk reference for fenugreek importers: Indian, Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish and Moroccan origins, saponin and 4-hydroxyisoleucine bands, EU compliance.
12 min readRead the guide →
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