How do I request a quotation?

Submit the export enquiry form with commodity, grade, quantity, packaging, destination port and incoterm. The trade desk responds with a specification sheet and commercial offer.

Do you supply commodities other than rice?

Yes. The portfolio covers rice, corn, millets, pulses, oilseeds and spices, sourced through a trusted supplier network of certified processing partners.

Can samples be provided before an order?

Yes. Samples are arranged against a written specification so what you evaluate matches what would be contracted.

Which incoterms do you work with?

FOB, CFR and CIF are the most commonly used terms; others are considered based on the corridor and buyer capability.

How is quality guaranteed?

Quality is contracted as measurable parameters and verified at loading, with independent third-party inspection available where the buyer nominates an agency.

What is your minimum order quantity?

Most programmes start at one 20-foot container, which is roughly 25-26 MT of bagged product depending on the bag weight and stuffing pattern. Smaller trial quantities are discussed case by case where a buyer needs to test a variety before committing to a full container.

How long does a shipment take from order to arrival?

Allow roughly one to three weeks from contract to loading for milling, bagging, inspection and documentation, then the ocean transit for your corridor: about 5-10 days to the Gulf, 18-25 days to West Africa, 20-30 days to Northern Europe and 30-40 days to the US East Coast. Printed packaging approval adds to the pre-loading stage.

How is pricing quoted and how long is it valid?

Pricing is quoted per metric tonne against a written specification and a named incoterm and port, with a stated validity period. Origin prices move with the crop calendar, currency and freight, so an expired quotation is re-issued rather than extended.

What payment terms do you accept for a first order?

An irrevocable letter of credit at sight, or an agreed advance percentage with the balance against shipping documents, are the usual structures for a first shipment. Terms are reviewed as trade history builds between the two companies.

What happens if the cargo does not meet the contracted specification?

Raise the claim in writing with independent survey evidence within the claim period in the contract and before the goods are processed or resold. Where the load-port inspection certificate and the destination survey disagree, the contract's nominated inspection point governs, which is why naming that agency before loading matters.

Can you ship to a port that is not listed on your markets pages?

Yes. The market pages document the corridors we run most often; shipments to other destinations are quoted once the import requirements, documentation set and freight route for that port are confirmed.

Do you work with importers, wholesalers and retail chains alike?

Yes. The specification, packaging format and documentation set differ by channel, which is why an enquiry that states the end channel produces a more accurate offer than one that states volume alone.

Do you handle documentation for the destination?

The export document set is prepared and transmitted as agreed in the contract. Destination-side clearance is handled by the importer or their broker under current local requirements.

Market Insights

Frequently Asked Questions for International Buyers

The questions importers ask most often before their first shipment, answered in one place with links to the detailed guides.

Request an Export Quote View Commodity Portfolio

Introduction

Overview for international buyers

New buyers tend to ask the same twelve or so questions before their first order. Answering them early shortens the path from enquiry to contract.

Each answer below links to the guide that covers the topic in depth. Where an answer depends on your destination, verify the current position with your own authority or broker.

Explanation

What buyers need to understand

Before you enquire

Have three things ready: the commodity and grade you need, the volume and frequency, and your destination port. With those, an offer can be specification-linked rather than indicative.

If you are unsure about grade, describe your end use and channel and the trade desk can propose options to sample.

During contracting

Confirm the incoterm and named port, the payment structure, the inspection arrangement and the document list. These four items resolve most of what can go wrong later.

Ask for the shipment window in writing, together with the packaging approval timeline if artwork is involved.

Pricing and how offers are built

An offer is built from the mill or processor price for the contracted grade, bagging and marking cost, inland movement to the load port, terminal handling and export documentation, and then ocean freight and insurance where the incoterm includes them. Understanding that stack is what lets a buyer compare two quotations that look different on paper.

Origin prices move with the crop calendar, the paddy or seed arrival pattern at the mandis, currency, and freight availability on your corridor. A quotation therefore carries a validity period; once it lapses the same specification may reprice in either direction.

The cheapest number on a comparison sheet is often the one with the loosest specification. Compare offers only after normalising broken percentage, moisture, admixture, bag weight and incoterm, otherwise the comparison is not like for like.

Volumes, packaging and container planning

Most buyers start with a single 20-foot container and scale to 40-foot units or multi-container programmes once the grade and the channel are proven. A 20-foot container typically carries around 25-26 MT of bagged rice or pulses depending on bag weight and stuffing pattern, while volumetric commodities such as some millets and spices cube out before they weigh out.

Packaging should be chosen for the destination channel rather than for the lowest bag cost: retail-ready printed bags for supermarket distribution, plain jute or PP bags for wholesale and repacking, and liner protection wherever the transit crosses humid zones.

If your artwork needs approval, add that lead time to the shipment window. Printing and approval cycles, not milling, are the most common cause of a delayed first shipment.

Payment, risk and first-order comfort

First-time buyers usually work with an irrevocable letter of credit at sight, or an advance percentage with the balance against scanned shipping documents. Both structures give each side a defined trigger and remove the need for either party to take unsecured exposure on a stranger.

Where a letter of credit is used, share the draft with the seller before your bank issues it. Most LC discrepancies are created at drafting stage by clauses that no exporter can physically comply with, such as certificates issued by an authority that does not exist in the origin country.

As the relationship matures, terms typically move toward documents against payment or an agreed credit period backed by trade history rather than by an instrument.

Before arrival

Ask for copies of the documents in advance so your broker can prepare clearance, and confirm the container and seal numbers.

Import requirements differ by country and change over time, so check current rules for your destination before the vessel arrives.

Step by Step

How the process runs

The sequence our trade desk follows with buyers, from requirement to shipment.

01
Prepare your requirement
Commodity, grade, volume, packaging, destination port and target shipment window.
02
Request a specification-linked offer
Ask the trade desk for an offer that restates every parameter and the incoterm.
03
Sample and confirm
Evaluate samples against your channel's expectations before contracting.
04
Contract with clear clauses
Incoterm, payment, inspection and documents written explicitly into the agreement.
05
Prepare for arrival
Advance document copies to your broker and destination requirements verified.

Common Mistakes

What goes wrong most often

Enquiring without a specification
An enquiry with no grade or volume can only produce an indicative number that no one can hold.
Leaving destination rules to the last week
Import requirements should be verified before contracting, not after loading.
Skipping samples on a new variety
Samples cost little compared with a container your customers reject.
Not naming an inspection point
Inspection at loading is the only stage where problems can still be corrected cheaply.

Buyer Checklist

Confirm before you contract

Commodity, grade and volume defined
Destination port and incoterm decided
Payment structure discussed with your bank
Samples evaluated where the variety is new to you
Inspection agency and sampling point named
Destination import requirements verified
Document list agreed with broker and bank

FAQ