Specification
Product Specifications
Typical export specifications for every commodity covered on this site, with the parameters buyers actually contract on and an explanation of what each one means.
- Specifications
- 31 published
- Commodities
- 26 covered
- Cleaning levels
- Machine cleaned · Colour sorted
Pulses are not traded against numbered national grades the way cereals are. They move on specifications negotiated per contract, supported where appearance matters by a physical approved sample. That places the responsibility on both parties to write down what they mean, because “premium quality” carries no fixed meaning anywhere in this trade.
The tables below are the specifications this site publishes as a starting point for that conversation. They are indicative — real parameters used across the trade, at levels that are achievable from East African origins — and they are the basis on which an enquiry can be priced. What they are not is a guarantee, a laboratory result or a substitute for a contract.
One practical piece of advice runs through all of them: match the specification to the end use. A dal mill that dehusks the grain is not paying for colour sorting, and quoting it a colour-sorted grade is the fastest way to lose the business. A retail packer selling through a transparent pack cannot use a machine-cleaned lot regardless of its purity figure.
By commodity
Specification sheets
Pigeon Peas
Cajanus cajan · HS 0713.60Pigeon Peas — Machine Cleaned
Whole pigeon peas (tur / toor / arhar), East African origin
- Product
- Whole pigeon peas, Cajanus cajan
- Origin
- Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Admixture
- 2% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 2% max
- Insect damaged
- 2% max
- Immature and shrivelled
- 1% max
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Moisture — Lower moisture is specified for longer transits and humid discharge ports.
- Foreign matter — Stone, soil, straw, pod and extraneous seed.
- Admixture — Other colours and off-variety grain.
- Colour — Red-brown, light brown or white depending on the type contracted.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Tighter parameters are available on a colour-sorted basis — see the Sortex specification.
- Final specification is agreed per contract and, where required, against an approved sample.
Pigeon Peas — Colour Sorted
Machine cleaned and optically sorted
- Product
- Whole pigeon peas, colour sorted
- Origin
- Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 1% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Immature and shrivelled
- 0.5% max
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Colour sorting raises the visual grade and reduces defect percentages; it increases the reject fraction and therefore the price.
- Sorting intensity is set against the contract, not applied at a single fixed setting.
Mung Beans (Green Gram)
Vigna radiata · HS 0713.31Mung Beans (Green Gram) — Machine Cleaned
Whole green mung beans, East African origin
- Product
- Whole mung beans (green gram), Vigna radiata
- Origin
- Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Immature and shrivelled
- 2% max
- Size
- 3.0 mm and above
- Colour
- Bright green, as per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Also available 3.2 mm+ and 3.5 mm+ subject to crop and grading.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Size bands are produced by screening and depend on the crop; confirm the band against a current sample.
- Sprouting-grade requirements are assessed separately — see the Sortex specification and the mung bean quality guide.
Mung Beans (Green Gram) — Sortex
Machine cleaned and optically colour sorted
- Product
- Whole mung beans, colour sorted
- Origin
- Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 99.5% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.1% max
- Admixture
- 0.5% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 0.5% max
- Broken and split
- 0.5% max
- Insect damaged
- 0.5% max
- Immature and shrivelled
- 0.5% max
- Size
- 3.2 mm and above
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Other bands on request.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Specification suited to repackers, retail packers and buyers with a high visual standard.
- Germination testing for sprouting buyers is arranged separately and is crop-dependent.
Chickpeas
Cicer arietinum · HS 0713.20Kabuli Chickpeas
Cream-coloured large-seeded type, graded by size
- Product
- Kabuli chickpeas, Cicer arietinum
- Origin
- Ethiopia, Tanzania
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 10% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Admixture — Off-type and off-colour seed.
- Size — Kabuli is traded on calibrated size bands; the band available depends on the crop and origin.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Size band is the primary price driver for Kabuli chickpeas and must be stated in the enquiry.
- East African Kabuli availability by size varies significantly by season. Confirm before contracting.
Desi Chickpeas
Small-seeded brown type for milling and splitting
- Product
- Desi chickpeas, Cicer arietinum
- Origin
- Ethiopia, Tanzania
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 10% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Admixture
- 2% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 2% max
- Insect damaged
- 2% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Desi is normally contracted on a screen size or on an approved sample.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Milling buyers usually assess splitting yield on a sample rather than on the written specification alone.
Cowpeas
Vigna unguiculata · HS 0713.35White Cowpeas
Cream/white cowpeas, machine cleaned
- Product
- White cowpeas, Vigna unguiculata
- Origin
- Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Admixture
- 2% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 2% max
- Insect damaged
- 2% max
- Immature and shrivelled
- 1% max
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Admixture — Other cowpea colours and types.
- Insect damaged — Bruchid activity is the main quality risk in cowpeas; storage and treatment matter as much as cleaning.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Colour sorted specification available where the buyer requires a higher visual grade.
Black-Eyed Beans
White cowpeas with the characteristic dark hilum ring
- Product
- Black-eyed beans / black-eyed peas, Vigna unguiculata
- Origin
- Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Eye definition
- Distinct, as per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Buyers in retail-facing markets normally contract this line colour sorted, because eye definition and background whiteness drive the visual grade.
Red Kidney Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Red Kidney Beans
Machine cleaned, size band per contract
- Product
- Red kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Moisture — Tighter moisture is specified for long transits; confirm against the route.
- Admixture — Other bean colours and types.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g; the band available depends on the crop.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Colour uniformity and brightness are assessed against an approved sample, not from the written specification alone.
- Canning buyers usually run their own soak and cook trial before approving an origin.
Light Speckled Kidney Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Light Speckled Kidney Beans
LSKB / sugar bean type, machine cleaned
- Product
- Light speckled kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Speckle pattern
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Speckle intensity and background colour vary between growing zones and between seasons; approval is normally on sample.
Dark Red Kidney Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Dark Red Kidney Beans
Deep red type, machine cleaned
- Product
- Dark red kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Ethiopia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Colour depth is the defining commercial parameter and is approved on sample.
White Kidney Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33White Kidney Beans
Large white kidney type (cannellino style)
- Product
- White kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Ethiopia, Tanzania
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 1.5% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Damaged and discoloured — Discolouration is highly visible on white beans and is usually the tightest parameter.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- White types are normally contracted colour sorted because staining and discolouration show clearly.
Small White Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Small White Beans
Small white haricot type
- Product
- Small white beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 1.5% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Frequently traded alongside navy beans; confirm which type the buyer means before pricing.
Black Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Black Beans
Black turtle type, machine cleaned
- Product
- Black beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Ethiopia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Admixture — Other colours are highly visible against black and are the first thing a buyer sees.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Gloss and colour depth are approved on sample; both fade with age, so crop year should be stated.
Yellow Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Yellow Beans
Yellow / njano type, machine cleaned
- Product
- Yellow beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Admixture
- 1% max
- Damaged and discoloured
- 2% max
- Broken and split
- 1% max
- Insect damaged
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Mainly a regional African trade line; export volumes depend on the season and on regional demand.
Pinto Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Pinto Beans
Beige with red-brown mottling, machine cleaned
- Product
- Pinto beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Split and broken
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g. A lower count means a larger bean.
- Colour — Mottling fades on cooking, so cooked texture is judged alongside raw appearance.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Canners normally run their own soak and cook trial; specification alone does not settle a pinto lot.
Great Northern Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · HS 0713.33Great Northern Beans
Medium white bean, machine cleaned
- Product
- Great Northern beans, Phaseolus vulgaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99.5% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Discoloured seed
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Purity — Tighter than for coloured beans: defects are visible in a pale product.
- Size — Contracted as count per 100 g, between navy and white kidney.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Contracted explicitly against navy and white kidney, since the class exists because of size.
Lima Beans (Butter Beans)
Phaseolus lunatus · HS 0713.39Lima Beans (Butter Beans)
Large white lima, machine cleaned
- Product
- Lima beans, Phaseolus lunatus
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Split and broken
- Against buyer requirement
- Size class
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Split and broken — The broad thin seed takes mechanical handling less well than a kidney bean.
- Size class — Large white and baby lima are separate contracts.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Traded as butter beans in most markets. One commodity under two names.
Black Gram
Vigna mungo · HS 0713.31Black Gram — Machine Cleaned
Whole black gram, traded as urad
- Product
- Whole black gram, Vigna mungo
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Admixture
- Against buyer requirement
- Insect damaged
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Admixture — Other Vigna seed, principally mung. The first thing a mill counts.
- Insect damaged — Small pulses are bruchid-prone in store.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Split and dehulled urad dal is offered on request rather than held as a standing line.
Adzuki Beans
Vigna angularis · HS 0713.32Adzuki Beans
Deep red Vigna angularis with white hilum ridge
- Product
- Adzuki beans, Vigna angularis
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- Size uniformity
- Against buyer requirement
- Admixture
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Origin — An East Asian crop; regional production is limited.
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Colour — Colour depth governs the finished paste and is judged heavily.
- Admixture — Other small red beans are the substitution risk; the white hilum ridge is the check.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Origin and availability are stated on the offer rather than presented as a regional programme.
Bambara Groundnuts
Vigna subterranea · HS 0713.39Bambara Groundnuts
Indigenous African pulse, Vigna subterranea
- Product
- Bambara groundnuts, Vigna subterranea
- Origin
- Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 12% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Colour
- Mixed as harvested, unless a single colour is contracted
- Damaged and discoloured
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Moisture — The seed is dense and dries slowly; moisture is set deliberately for the transit.
- Foreign matter — The pod ripens underground, so soil and stone removal matters more than for an above-ground pulse.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- A pulse, not an oilseed: despite the name and the underground pod it is not a groundnut and carries no comparable oil content.
- A single-colour lot is a sorting requirement and is priced as one.
Lablab Beans (Hyacinth Beans)
Lablab purpureus · HS 0713.39Lablab Beans (Hyacinth Beans)
Lablab purpureus, black njahi and cream types
- Product
- Lablab beans, Lablab purpureus
- Origin
- Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 98% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Colour type
- Black (njahi) or cream, contracted separately
- Admixture
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Admixture — Lablab is often intercropped, so other pulse seed is the common contaminant.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Black and cream are separate contracts. A mixed lot is a different product and priced as one.
Whole Green Peas
Pisum sativum · HS 0713.10Whole Green Peas — Machine Cleaned
Whole dry green peas, unsplit
- Product
- Whole dry green peas, Pisum sativum
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Splits and broken
- Against buyer requirement
- Bleached and faded
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Moisture — Set lower for long transits and humid discharge ports.
- Splits and broken — Tolerance depends on whether the lot is destined for canning or splitting.
- Bleached and faded — The parameter colour-sensitive buyers set first.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Typical export specification. The specification that applies is the one written into the contract.
- Availability is confirmed per offer; no crop calendar is published for dry peas on this site.
Green Split Peas
Pisum sativum · HS 0713.10Green Split Peas
Dehulled and split green peas
- Product
- Green split peas, Pisum sativum
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Split percentage
- Against buyer requirement
- Broken and powdered
- Against buyer requirement
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Whole unsplit seed
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Split percentage — Recovery of clean halves depends on the whole pea the lot is produced from.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Split percentage and fines are confirmed against the offered lot rather than promised in advance.
Whole Yellow Peas
Pisum sativum · HS 0713.10Whole Yellow Peas — Machine Cleaned
Whole dry yellow peas, unsplit
- Product
- Whole dry yellow peas, Pisum sativum
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Splits and broken
- Against buyer requirement
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Band contracted where the crop supports it; governs splitting recovery.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Typical export specification, confirmed against the offered lot.
Yellow Split Peas
Pisum sativum · HS 0713.10Yellow Split Peas
Dehulled and split yellow peas, traded as matar dal
- Product
- Yellow split peas, Pisum sativum
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 14% max
- Split percentage
- Against buyer requirement
- Broken and powdered
- Against buyer requirement
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Split percentage and fines are confirmed against the offered lot.
Red Lentils
Lens culinaris · HS 0713.40Red Lentils — Split
Dehulled and split red lentils, traded as masoor dal
- Product
- Red split lentils, Lens culinaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Split percentage
- Against buyer requirement
- Broken and powdered
- Against buyer requirement
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Foreign matter — Lentils grow low to the ground and pick up soil and stone.
- Colour — Brightness of the cotyledon is the parameter buyers judge first.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Whole and football forms are specified separately — see the whole red lentil specification.
Red Lentils — Whole
Seed coat on, over a red cotyledon
- Product
- Whole red lentils, Lens culinaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 1% max
- Size
- Against buyer requirement
- Damaged and discoloured
- Against buyer requirement
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size — Governs dehulling recovery where the lot is destined for splitting.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Contracted where the buyer dehulls or splits the lot themselves.
Green Lentils
Lens culinaris · HS 0713.40Green Lentils
Whole green lentils, seed coat on
- Product
- Whole green lentils, Lens culinaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Size class
- Against buyer requirement
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Split and broken
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size class — Large and small green are separate contracts, not a tolerance on one.
- Split and broken — Penalised for canning, where broken seed clouds the brine.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Size class is contracted explicitly; availability of a class depends on the crop.
Brown Lentils
Lens culinaris · HS 0713.40Brown Lentils
Whole brown lentils, seed coat on
- Product
- Whole brown lentils, Lens culinaris
- Origin
- Stated on offer
- Crop year
- Stated on contract
- Moisture
- 13% max
- Purity
- 99% min
- Foreign matter
- 0.5% max
- Size uniformity
- Against buyer requirement
- Colour
- As per approved sample
- GMO status
- Not genetically modified
Notes on specific parameters
- Crop year — Contract on a specific crop year; it materially affects colour, cooking behaviour and insect load.
- Size uniformity — Governs dehulling recovery for lots destined for red lentil production.
- Colour — Coat colour evenness is the visible defect in a whole brown lot.
- GMO status — There are no commercially cultivated genetically modified varieties of this crop.
- Lots for dehulling are specified on size uniformity rather than coat colour.
Specifications shown are indicative contract parameters used across the trade. They are not laboratory results and are not a guarantee attaching to any particular lot. The specification that governs a shipment is the one written into its contract, agreed against the buyer’s requirement and, where appearance matters, against an approved sample.
Glossary
What each parameter means
The same terms appear on every specification. These are the definitions used throughout this site.
- Moisture
- Water content as a percentage of weight. It governs storage life and whether the cargo arrives sound after weeks in a sealed container. Every other parameter can be corrected by cleaning; moisture cannot be corrected once the container is closed.
- Purity
- The percentage of the sample that is sound, on-specification product of the contracted type. It is the inverse of everything the cleaning line is trying to remove.
- Foreign matter
- Anything that is not the contracted commodity — stone, soil, straw, pod, string, dust and other seeds. Usually the parameter with the lowest tolerance, because stone in particular damages downstream milling equipment.
- Admixture
- Grain of the same commodity but the wrong type, colour or variety. A red pigeon pea in a white pigeon pea lot is admixture, not foreign matter.
- Damaged and discoloured
- Grain that is weather-stained, heat-damaged, mould-marked, sprouted or otherwise visibly degraded. Assessed visually against an approved sample as well as by percentage.
- Broken and split
- Fragments and grains that have split along the cotyledon. Generated in the field, in threshing and in handling, and reduced but never eliminated by cleaning.
- Insect damaged
- Grain with bore holes or internal feeding damage, principally from bruchid beetles. Density separation removes much of it, because damaged grain is lighter than sound grain.
- Immature and shrivelled
- Grain that did not fill properly. Light, poorly coloured and low-yielding in processing; largely removed by aspiration.
- Size and count
- For beans, usually stated as count per 100 g — a lower count means a larger bean. For mung beans, usually a screen size in millimetres. For Kabuli chickpeas, a calibrated size band.
- Crop year
- The season in which the crop was harvested. Older crop darkens, takes longer to cook and carries more accumulated insect risk, so crop year is a commercial parameter and not an administrative detail.
Questions about specifications
Are these specifications guaranteed?
No. They are indicative contract parameters of the kind used across the pulses trade — not laboratory results, and not a guarantee attaching to any particular lot. The specification that governs a shipment is the one written into its contract, agreed against your requirement and, where appearance matters, against an approved sample.
Can tighter tolerances be supplied?
Tighter parameters are achievable through additional cleaning and sorting passes. The cost reflects the larger reject fraction, because every separation removes weight from the lot rather than improving it. State the tolerances you need and they can be assessed against the current crop.
Why is size shown as "against buyer requirement" for some products?
Because size availability is a property of the crop, not of the processing. Screening separates what grew; it cannot create larger seed. Publishing a standing size band would be a claim about a future harvest, so the available band is confirmed against the current crop at the time of enquiry.
Can I get a PDF specification sheet?
Specification sheets are issued against a specific enquiry, so they carry the parameters agreed for that contract rather than a generic sheet. Send your product, origin, quantity and target parameters and a sheet can be prepared for the lot being offered.
Need a specification sheet for your contract?
Send the commodity, origin, quantity and the tolerances you work to. A sheet can be prepared against the lot being offered rather than issued as a generic document.
- Commodity
- Origin
- Target parameters
- Quantity
- Packing
- Destination port