Specialty sprouting — HoReCa and retail packer line
Sprouting seed anchors Kehkashan's specialty book. Four species — mung, alfalfa, broccoli, radish — supply HoReCa kitchens, retail sprouting packers, hydroponic growers and microgreen lines. Lots are segregated from agricultural seed, Salmonella-tested and chemical-free. Pricing tracks species, certified-organic flag and pack format.
Top buying countries
The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait lead Gulf HoReCa demand. Singapore and Malaysia buy for retail microgreens. Kenya and South Africa take alfalfa and mung for sprouting cafes. Korea and Japan import broccoli sprouting for sulforaphane health lines. Australia ships its own retail SKU but imports trial batches.
Key species to know
Mung (Vigna radiata) — Asian foodservice staple. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) — sprouting-grade selected lot, distinct from forage seed. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) — sulforaphane-rich health line. Radish (Raphanus sativus) — sharp peppery microgreen. Each lot ships Salmonella-negative with the chemical-free declaration.
Logistics overview
Sprouting seed ships from Jebel Ali in 25 kg PP bag, 22 to 24 metric tonnes per 20-foot container. Lead time runs 10 to 18 days from PO confirmation. LCL is the default for trial volumes below 1 metric tonne; FCL kicks in once a sprouting line is programmed weekly or fortnightly.
Quality assurance protocol
Every sprouting lot carries 99% purity, 90% germination minimum, Salmonella-negative under ISO 6579 and a chemical-free declaration. Lots failing Salmonella-negative do not ship and route to non-food markets. SGS or Bureau Veritas counter-sampling is welcome at vessel loading on buyer instruction.
Sourcing mix and origin discipline
India anchors mung, alfalfa-sprouting and broccoli-sprouting through dedicated food-grade houses. Pakistan back-fills mung and radish at competitive freight. Australia ships its OECD-certified alfalfa-sprouting line. Multi-origin consolidation is available; segregation is rigorous because cross-contamination breaks Salmonella compliance.
Pricing tiers and certified-organic premiums
Sprouting seed pricing tracks species and certified-organic flag. Broccoli sprouting carries the highest per-gram price into health-food retail. Radish and alfalfa sprouting price mid-band. Mung covers the volume HoReCa book. Certified-organic adds roughly 30 to 50 percent premium across all four lines, with USDA-NOP and EU-organic chains traceable on the COA.
Buyer profiles we serve
Gulf HoReCa kitchens buy mung and alfalfa in 25 kg PP bag against a weekly receiving slot. Singapore and Malaysian retail microgreen packers buy broccoli and radish in mixed FCL. Korean and Japanese health-food chains buy broccoli organic. African sprouting cafes in Kenya and South Africa buy alfalfa sprouting in starter MOQ.
Sample-first policy on sprouting seed
Every new sprouting buyer programme starts with a 500 g to 1 kg courier sample and a draft COA confirming purity, germination and Salmonella-negative status under ISO 6579. Buyers run their own germination and pathogen confirmation in parallel. Sample fees credit against the first MT order on contract acceptance and dispatch.