KOHENOOR International supplies sprout houses, hydroponic farms, retail packers, and food-service buyers across USA, Canada, EU, GCC, and East Asia with alfalfa sprouting seed (Medicago sativa). ISTA-tested. Untreated natural seed. FOB Karachi. 68 years of seed export trust — operations in Pakistan and Australia, members of the Australian Seed Federation.
Trusted, verifiable credentials — not slogans
Alfalfa sprouts (Medicago sativa) are one of the most established fresh-sprout categories worldwide — found in supermarket salad mixes, sandwich toppings, hydroponic micro-green farms, juice bars, and increasingly in functional food formulations. But the seed used to grow human-consumption sprouts is a completely different product to the alfalfa seed sold for field planting in dairy and forage systems.
Once a buyer's end customer eats the sprout, the seed becomes a food product subject to FDA (USA), EU EFSA, UK FSA, SFDA (Saudi Arabia), FSANZ (Australia / NZ), and similar national food-safety frameworks. Each jurisdiction has its own microbial tolerance specifications. KOHENOOR ships untreated alfalfa seed with ISTA certification — buyers needing additional microbial certification for human-consumption use can arrange independent third-party lab testing prior to shipment.
KOHENOOR's sprouting-use alfalfa seed is untreated (no fungicide, no insecticide, no coating) and ISTA-tested per lot for purity and germination. Buyers needing microbial certification for human-consumption sprouting can coordinate that testing through an independent third-party lab — either via their own incoming-QC supplier or via KOHENOOR's coordination at the buyer's cost.
| Attribute | For sprouting use | For field-planting use |
|---|---|---|
| Seed treatment | None — untreated natural seed (what KOHENOOR ships) | May be chemically treated with fungicide |
| Origin documentation | ISTA Orange Certificate + Phyto + COO | ISTA + Phyto |
| Microbial testing | Buyer-arranged third-party (where required for sprouting use) | Generally not required |
| End use | Human-consumption sprouts, hydroponic micro-greens | Field planting for forage / hay / dairy systems |
Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces deliver one of the world's most favourable production environments for sprouting-grade alfalfa: long dry summers (low field-disease pressure), controlled-irrigation seed-multiplication systems, low input costs, and direct FOB Karachi container access to every major sprouting-seed importing region within 12-38 transit days.
Alfalfa sprouting seed pricing globally is set by a small handful of origins and moves daily with crop yield, FX, freight rates, and seasonal demand. KOHENOOR is one of the few origin-direct exporters quoting at live current-market rates — not an indexed price list. Buyers get the actual FOB Karachi quote on the day they enquire, against current spec lots in our warehouse.
What that means for your procurement team:
Every lot we ship carries an independent ISTA Orange Certificate referencing the specific lot ID on the bag tags. The certificate covers seed purity, germination percentage, and other crop seed presence under International Seed Testing Association rules.
| Parameter | KOHENOOR specification | Test method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Medicago sativa | — |
| Origin | Punjab + Sindh, Pakistan | — |
| Germination | High — per ISTA lot certificate | ISTA Rules Chapter 5 |
| Pure seed | High — per ISTA lot certificate | ISTA Rules Chapter 3 |
| Other crop seed | Low — per ISTA lot certificate | ISTA Rules Chapter 3 |
| Inert matter | Low — per ISTA lot certificate | ISTA Rules Chapter 3 |
| Moisture content | Within ISTA tolerance | ISTA oven method |
| Chemical treatment | None — untreated natural seed | Confirmed per shipment |
| Microbial / food-safety testing | Available on buyer request through third-party laboratories — buyer-arranged or coordinated by KOHENOOR at buyer's cost | Per buyer's import market |
| Standard packing | 25 kg poly-lined PP woven bag with sealed lot tag | — |
| Alternative packing | 1 MT FIBC big bag · custom retail (MOQ 5 MT) · private label (MOQ 10 MT) | — |
| Documents per shipment | ISTA Orange Certificate · Phytosanitary Certificate (Pakistan Dept of Plant Protection) · Certificate of Origin (Karachi Chamber) | — |
| Shelf life | Long — when stored cool and dry in original packing | — |
Every KOHENOOR alfalfa seed shipment leaves Karachi with a baseline documentation pack that buyers and customs brokers worldwide recognise on sight — ready for clearance without delay.
Optional documents (issued on request, sometimes at buyer's cost): commercial invoice, packing list, insurance certificate, bill of lading, halal certificate, fumigation certificate, third-party microbial / pesticide residue / heavy metals testing through an independent lab.
Different import markets require slightly different documentation. Below is the quick reference we use when preparing your shipment paperwork. Standard ISTA + Phytosanitary + COO is included with every export; additional items are added as the destination requires.
| Market | Import regulator | Additional documents typically required |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 USA | USDA APHIS · FDA | FDA Prior Notice filing · USDA permit (where applicable) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | CFIA | CFIA-format phytosanitary additional declarations |
| 🇪🇺 EU | National plant-health authorities | Phyto with EU-required additional declarations |
| 🇬🇧 UK | DEFRA · APHA | UK-format phyto with post-Brexit additional declarations |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | SFDA · MEWA | Halal certificate · Saber/SABER conformity (where applicable) |
| 🇦🇪 UAE | MOCCAE · Dubai Municipality | ESMA conformance · halal certificate (where applicable) |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | MAFF · MHLW | Japan-format phyto · pesticide-residue test through third-party lab on request |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | APQA · MFDS | Korea-format phyto · APQA permit (where applicable) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | DAFF · BICON | BICON-ready phyto with treatment certificate |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | MPI | MPI-format phyto per IHS pathway |
Alfalfa is our flagship sprouting seed but rarely the only one a commercial buyer needs. We also export the following food-grade sprouting and micro-green seeds — all to the same microbial standard, same documentation pack, same FOB Karachi reliability.
Medicago sativa, food-grade, ≥95% germ. Our largest sprouting volume — 200+ MT/year to USA, EU, Japan, GCC.
Brassica oleracea, premium sulforaphane-rich variety for functional food and supplement buyers. Untreated.
Trifolium repens + T. incarnatum food-grade sprouting clover. Common companion to alfalfa in mixed sprout blends.
Raphanus sativus food-grade sprouting radish for spicy micro-green blends. High-margin premium retail.
Trigonella foenum-graecum sprouting-grade. Premium ayurvedic + functional food market.
Sinapis alba + Brassica juncea sprouting mustard for premium micro-green and chef supply markets.
Procurement teams new to sprouting alfalfa often ask: "how many pounds of sellable sprouts per metric ton of seed?" Below are the typical commercial benchmarks our sprout-house buyers report. Your actual yield depends on cultivation method (drum / tray / hydroponic), sprouting time, and yield-loss QC.
| Production method | Seed input | Typical sprout yield | Yield ratio | Cycle time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drum sprouting (commercial) | 1 MT (1000 kg) | ~7,000-8,000 kg fresh sprouts | 7-8× by weight | 5-7 days |
| Tray sprouting | 1 MT (1000 kg) | ~6,500-7,500 kg fresh sprouts | 6.5-7.5× by weight | 5-7 days |
| Hydroponic micro-green | 1 MT (1000 kg) | ~5,000-6,500 kg micro-greens | 5-6.5× by weight | 10-14 days |
| Home / artisan jar | 1 kg dry seed | ~6-7 kg sprouts | 6-7× by weight | 5-7 days |
Sprouting houses ask us for more than just seed — sanitisers, irrigation supplies, packaging, and equipment introductions. Below is what we either supply directly or coordinate through trusted partners.
For buyers commissioning a new sprouting line we can introduce verified Calcium Hypochlorite and food-grade sanitiser suppliers — buyer-direct, no markup from us.
Vacuum-sealed pouches, clamshells, paperboard sleeves with your branding. Coordinate with seed shipment to consolidate freight.
We introduce verified-buyer accounts to industry-standard drum sprouter manufacturers (USA, Korea, Turkey) to streamline equipment commissioning.
For new sprout-house buyers we walk through what each KOHENOOR shipment document means, who issues it, and how it sits inside your incoming-QC process. Free, 30-minute session.
Direct WhatsApp line for technical questions, microbial document requests, urgent re-orders, or shipping status. Same-day answer in business hours.
One-hour video walkthrough for new sprouting-seed buyers covering FDA / EU compliance, our microbial workflow, document set, and dispute resolution.
An export contract is a trust relationship. Below is what KOHENOOR promises in writing — only things we actually do, not what marketing would have us claim.
Our commitments on every shipment:
This isn't marketing language — it's how the business has been run since 1957. We are a family business and our name sits on every bag.
Each segment has different priorities — microbial spec, packaging, lead time, or organic certification. We've worked with all five and can advise on the right configuration for yours.
50-500 MT/year drum-sprouting operations supplying supermarket retail or food-service. Priority: lot consistency, microbial documentation, predictable lead time.
Indoor vertical-farm and hydroponic systems growing alfalfa micro-greens for premium restaurants and retail. Priority: ≥97% germination, untreated seed, organic option.
Brands repacking 25 kg bulk into 50 g - 500 g retail bags for home sprouters and health-food shops. Priority: private-label packaging, MSDS, retail-ready compliance.
Multi-site QSR, juice bar, and hotel groups sprouting in-house for salads, sandwiches, and wellness menus. Priority: lot-level traceability, halal certification, dependable repeat-order supply.
USDA NOP, EU Organic, or JAS-certified sprout producers. Priority: certified-organic lot, chain-of-custody documentation, segregated handling.
Manufacturers using sprouted alfalfa for protein blends, green powders, and functional supplements. Priority: pesticide residue testing, heavy metal analysis.
FOB Karachi container schedules to all listed regions. Typical transit times included for procurement planning.
WhatsApp +92 310 4929292 with: tonnage in MT, destination port, target arrival month, microbial spec (FDA / EU / domestic), organic certification needed (yes/no), packaging preference.
You get: confirmed FOB Karachi quote, current lot's ISTA + microbial certificates, shipping schedule options, sample dispatch confirmation, draft contract terms.
On LC at sight or TT against B/L scan: we condition + bag your lot, stuff the container at Karachi Port, dispatch all original documents per your contract. Done.
Standard documentation pack — included at no extra charge:
Additional documents on request: Bill of Lading · halal certificate · fumigation certificate · independent third-party microbial / pesticide-residue / heavy-metals lab report (buyer-arranged or coordinated by KOHENOOR through an accredited lab at buyer's cost) · Letter of Guarantee against GMO · Letter of Guarantee against chemical seed treatment for sprouting use.
Founded in 1957, KOHENOOR International is one of Pakistan's longest-running seed exporters — a family business now in its third generation. Operations span Pakistan and Australia. Member of the Australian Seed Federation (ASF). Every shipment carries our family name — a reputation we have protected for almost seven decades. Below: real photos, real credentials, no stock images.
Third-generation family business — we have shipped seed during every export cycle, currency shift, and commodity-market change in Pakistan's post-independence history. Continuity is our edge.
Every lot tested by an International Seed Testing Association-recognised laboratory before bagging. The certificate is the document customs brokers worldwide accept on sight.
Members of the Australian Seed Federation, with operations in both Pakistan and Australia. The dual-market presence gives buyers two access points.
FOB Karachi shipments to seed importers in over seventy countries — MENA, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia-Pacific. The export channels are established; your shipment is not our first to your port.
Direct line to the sales desk on WhatsApp +92 310 4929292. We commit to a 24-business-hour response on every enquiry, every quote, every documentation question.
The alfalfa seed we ship for sprouting use carries no fungicide, no insecticide, no coating. The crop is grown in Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces where dry summers reduce in-field disease pressure.
What our process actually looks like — bags being weighed, lots being tagged, containers being stuffed at Karachi Port. The same loading process for every shipment, regardless of destination port.
Tell us tonnage + destination + spec. We respond within 24 business hours with a confirmed quote, current lot certificates, and sample dispatch confirmation.
