MOQ tiers
| Tier | Quantity | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | 5 kg air-freight | — |
| Commercial | 50–500 kg LCL | — |
| Programme FCL | 1 × 20'FCL (palletised cartons) | — |
Onion Seeds Exporter & Wholesale Supplier — 35+ Origins, 80+ Destinations
Kehkashan exports onion (Allium cepa) seeds from origin partners in Pakistan, India, and Egypt — supplied in bulk FCL or LCL with FOB Karachi or Jebel Ali, CFR, or CIF terms to commercial vegetable growers and seed multipliers 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
- Allium cepa
- Also known as
- بذور البصل, семена лука
- HS code
- —
- Common varieties
- Agrifound Dark Red, Agrifound Light Red, Pusa Red, Pusa Ratnar, Pusa Madhvi, Arka Kalyan, Arka Bindu
- Origins available
- India, Netherlands, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Egypt, Sri Lanka
- MOQ
- 5 kg starter, FCL volumes available
- Pack sizes
- 500 g foil pouch, 1 kg foil pouch, 5 kg cartons
- Specs
- Purity: 98%, Germination: 85% min, Hybrid grade: F1 / OP
- Lead time
- 10–18 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 |
|---|---|
| OP varieties (Nasik Red, Pusa) | RFQ — entry tier |
| F1 hybrids (Tana, Granex 55) | RFQ — mid tier |
| Specialty F1 (Bermuda, sweet onion) | RFQ — premium tier |
Lead times — top destinations
| Discharge port | Transit | Incoterm |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi / Mumbai (FOB) | 0 days | FOB |
| Air-freight Dubai / Riyadh | 1–3 days | CIP airport |
| Jebel Ali sea (palletised) | 4–6 days | CFR / CIF |
| Jeddah Islamic Port (KSA) | 8–12 days | CFR / CIF |
| Mombasa (Kenya) | 14–20 days | CFR / CIF |
- Packaging formats
- 500 g / 1 kg foil pouch · 5 kg cartons
- Container capacity
- 20'FCL: typically air-freighted in bulk, sea for high-volume programmes
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.
- Air waybill or Bill of Lading
- Commercial Invoice — UAE Free Zone issued
- Packing List with lot codes per pouch
- Certificate of Origin (CoO) — Dubai Chamber attested
- Phytosanitary Certificate — origin NPPO
- ISTA / national seed-testing certificate
- Hybrid (F1) parentage declaration where applicable
- GMO / Non-GMO declaration
- Treatment / coating declaration (Thiram, Apron, etc.)
- Form A (GSP) where applicable
Procurement-team questions
Answers to the questions buyers ask us most often during RFQ and trial-shipment evaluation.
- F1 hybrid versus open-pollinated — which to specify?
- F1 hybrids (Granex 55, Tana, Nasik 53) deliver higher uniformity, predictable bulb shape and 20–30% higher yield, but seed must be re-bought every season. OP varieties (Nasik Red, Pusa Red, Agrifound Light Red) cost 60–80% less, can be farmer-saved, but yields are variable. Commercial growers serving Gulf retail typically buy F1; smallholder programmes in East Africa and South Asia buy OP.
- What is the minimum germination guarantee?
- Specify 85% minimum germination, 98% minimum purity, ISTA tested. We reject any lot below 80% pre-loading. Foil-pouched lots packaged within 6 months of harvest typically test 90%+ germination. Onion seed loses viability fast — never accept lots > 18 months from harvest date for commercial planting.
- How is onion seed treated against soil-borne disease?
- Standard treatment is thiram (50% WP) at 2 g/kg seed against Pythium / damping-off, plus Apron (metalaxyl) at 3 g/kg against downy mildew. F1 hybrid lots ship pre-treated. Organic / untreated lots are available on request for buyers running biological seed-treatment lines (Trichoderma).
- Air-freight versus sea-freight?
- For trial lots and small commercial volumes (under 100 kg), air-freight Karachi / Mumbai to Dubai / Riyadh in 1–3 days, CIP airport. For programme volumes, palletised sea in 25 kg cartons inside a 20'FCL, transit 4–20 days depending on destination. Seed quality is preserved equally well in both modes if temperature stays under 25 °C and RH < 60%.
- How does day-length sensitivity affect variety choice?
- Onion bulbing is photoperiod-sensitive. Long-day varieties (Bermuda 502, Walla Walla) need 14+ hours daylight — suit northern latitudes. Short-day varieties (Granex 55, Texas Early Grano) need 10–12 hours daylight — suit Gulf, East Africa, South India / Pakistan. Intermediate-day varieties (Tana F1) run in between. Specify by latitude / daylight band; we match.
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.
origin report
Sourcing from Pakistan: Exporter Due-Diligence Guide
What Pakistan exports at scale, agroclimatic zones, Karachi/Qasim ports, DPP regime, supplier due-diligence. UAE Free Zone trade desk, reply in 1 working day.
13 min readRead the guide →
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