Pigeon Peas
Pigeon Peas Packing & Container Loading
Bag types, net weights, marking, liners and container loading for pigeon pea shipments.
Packing for pigeon peas is straightforward in principle and consequential in practice: it determines handling cost at discharge, how the cargo survives transit, and in some markets whether it can be sold at all in the form it arrives. It is also expensive to change after the event, since re-bagging a container is slow and adds handling damage, so the packing specification is confirmed in writing before bagging begins.
The default units are 25 kg and 50 kg woven polypropylene bags. Dal mills and bulk buyers commonly take 50 kg because it costs less per tonne to pack and means fewer bags to handle mechanically. Buyers who break bulk by hand, or who repack for retail, usually prefer 25 kg. Some destinations apply manual handling limits at discharge, which is worth confirming with the receiver before contracting a 50 kg pack.
Liners and moisture protection
A polyethylene liner inside the woven bag adds a moisture barrier for long transits and humid discharge ports. It is a useful protection, but it is not a substitute for packing at the right moisture in the first place — a liner slows ingress, it does not remove water already in the grain.
Marking
Bag marking typically carries the product description in the terms the destination market uses, net weight, crop year, country of origin and a lot reference, plus any buyer shipping marks. Country-of-origin marking must match the certificate of origin, and the description should match the invoice and bill of lading, because mismatches cause clearance delays and document rejection under a letter of credit.
Packing
Available packing
25 kg PP woven bag
25 kg netStandard woven polypropylene bag, machine stitched. The most widely handled unit for pulses moving to processors and repackers, because it can be manhandled during discharge without mechanical assistance.
Typical use. General export packing for pigeon peas, mung beans, cowpeas and beans where the receiver breaks bulk by hand.
Consider. Higher bag cost per tonne than 50 kg and more stitching time, but faster and safer discharge at destination.
50 kg PP woven bag
50 kg netHeavier woven polypropylene bag, machine stitched. Fewer bags per container, lower packing cost per tonne, and the traditional unit in several South Asian and African destination markets.
Typical use. Bulk contracts where the receiver has mechanical handling, or where the destination market trades in 50 kg units.
Consider. Some destinations apply manual handling limits at discharge. Confirm the receiving warehouse accepts 50 kg before contracting.
Laminated / BOPP printed bag
25 kg or 50 kg netWoven polypropylene with a laminated outer layer, allowing full-surface printing and giving better resistance to moisture ingress and abrasion than plain woven fabric.
Typical use. Buyer-branded consignments and contracts where the bag reaches the end customer without repacking.
Consider. Requires artwork approval and a print run, so lead time and minimum quantity are longer than for plain bags.
PE liner (inside PP bag)
Added to 25 kg or 50 kgA polyethylene liner placed inside the woven bag as an additional moisture barrier during the sea leg.
Typical use. Long transit times, humid discharge ports, or products contracted at the lower end of the moisture range.
Consider. A liner slows moisture ingress; it does not correct product packed above its target moisture. Conditioning before packing remains the control.
Buyer-branded bags
Any contracted weightBags printed to the buyer's own artwork, with their brand, product description and any destination-required declarations.
Typical use. Importers and distributors selling under their own label in the destination market.
Consider. The buyer supplies artwork and is responsible for the accuracy of any claim printed on it. Print lead time is added to the shipment schedule.
Jumbo bag / FIBC
1,000–1,250 kg netFlexible intermediate bulk container with lifting loops, filled and discharged mechanically. Reduces handling labour substantially at both ends.
Typical use. Large processors and mills with forklift and hopper discharge that do not need the product in retail-scale units.
Consider. Requires mechanical handling at load and discharge, and the exact fill weight depends on product density and the receiver's equipment. Confirm loop type, fill and discharge spout with the receiver.
Marking
Bag marking
- Product description
- Commodity name in the terms used by the destination market, for example "Pigeon Peas (Toor Whole)" or "Mung Beans (Green Gram)".
- Net weight
- Net weight per bag in kilograms, matching the packing list and weight certificate.
- Crop year
- The season the crop was harvested in. Buyers contract on crop year and it is frequently required on the bag.
- Country of origin
- Marked as required by the destination, most commonly in the form "Produce of Tanzania". This must match the certificate of origin.
- Lot / batch reference
- Links the bag back to intake, cleaning and final-check records for the consignment.
- Buyer shipping marks
- Contract number, buyer reference, destination port and any consignee-specific marking supplied by the buyer.
Indicative container loading
Calculated at an assumed planned net weight of 19 MT per 20 ft container.
| Container | Bag size | Bags | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20' GP | 25 kg | 760 | 19,000 kg |
| 20' GP | 50 kg | 380 | 19,000 kg |
Bag counts are arithmetic: planned net weight divided by bag weight. They illustrate that calculation, not a figure confirmed for any particular container. The planned net weight depends on product density, bag dimensions, stowage, the container’s own payload limit and — frequently the binding constraint on East African corridors — road weight limits at origin and destination. It is confirmed at booking.
- 20' GP — The standard unit for bagged pulses. Weight, not volume, is the limiting factor for dense commodities.
- 40' GP — Used where the cargo is volume-limited rather than weight-limited, or where the receiver prefers fewer, larger units.
Request pigeon peas availability
Send your target origin, specification, quantity, packing, destination port and Incoterm, and we will come back with a position against the current crop.
- Origin
- Specification
- Crop year
- Quantity
- Packing
- Destination port
- Incoterm