Pakistan is one of the world's quiet-giant suppliers of dried rose petals — a product that rarely makes headlines but moves in steady container volume to the Attar perfume industry of Kannauj (India), cosmetic ingredient houses in the EU and US, and potpourri packers across the Gulf. The rose belts of Faisalabad and Lahore districts produce a distinctly dark-red Rosa damascena petal with higher iron and tannin content than Bulgarian or Iranian origin, which is why Attar specialists pay a premium for it.
This guide covers what an importer actually needs: grades, specs, moisture, packaging and container tonnage for dried rose petal containers from Karachi.
The Pakistani rose belt — who grows what
Commercial rose cultivation in Pakistan is concentrated in:
- Faisalabad district (Punjab) — the single largest source. Rose fields are harvested by hand pre-dawn March through June, dried in shaded drying sheds. Predominantly Rosa damascena with some Rosa bourboniana.
- Pattoki / Lahore district (Punjab) — specialised in deep-red cultivars for the Attar trade. Smaller acreage but higher petal-per-kg yield.
- Sindh belt (Sukkur / Khairpur) — minor, mostly dried-flower for decorative use.
The bloom is harvested between 3 AM and 6 AM when the essential-oil concentration in the petals is highest — this is the same practice as in Bulgaria's Kazanluk valley, and is why pre-dawn hand-picked Pakistani petals command a premium over sun-blown material harvested later in the day.
Whole petal, broken and dust
Every shipment is graded into three commercial tiers:
| Grade | Description | Primary end use |
|---|---|---|
| Whole petal (A / AA) | Intact petals, colour preserved, hand-sorted | Potpourri, tea, cosmetic topping, wedding decor |
| Broken petal (B) | Partially broken, still recognisable | Attar distillation, bulk cosmetic infusions |
| Dust / powder (C) | Fine, sieved material | Face-mask cosmetics, tea blends, capsule fillers |
Moisture, colour and microbiology benchmarks
- Moisture: ≤ 10% (ideal: 8–9%)
- Colour: deep red to red-brown (Faisalabad) or red-pink (Pattoki). Bleached or yellowed material is rejected lot.
- Foreign matter: ≤ 1% (A grade), ≤ 2% (B grade)
- Insect fragments: nil detectable
- Total plate count: ≤ 10⁷ cfu/g (cosmetic grade)
- Yeast & mould: ≤ 10⁴ cfu/g
- Essential-oil residue (for Attar grade): ≥ 0.03%
Grade matching by end use
- Attar / perfumery distillation → Broken (B), shade-dried, essential-oil-preserved
- Loose-leaf rose tea / blended tea → Whole petal (A), low-dust, food-grade microbiology pack
- Cosmetic infusions, face masks, scrubs → Dust (C) or broken (B), microbiology-tested
- Potpourri, wedding, decorative → Whole petal (AA) with colour emphasis
- Ayurvedic / herbal capsules → Dust (C), food-grade, pesticide-screened
Container loadings & packaging
Dried rose petals are extremely light — containers are always volume-limited, never weight-limited. Typical tonnages:
| Packaging | 20ft FCL | 40ft HC |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kg food-grade inner bag in carton | 3–4 MT | 7–9 MT |
| 10 kg carton with poly-liner | 4–5 MT | 9–11 MT |
| Compressed bales (25 kg) | 7–8 MT | 14–17 MT |
Indicative 2026 FOB Karachi, per MT (quote on request):
- Whole petal A-grade (Faisalabad): USD 5,500–7,200 / MT
- Broken B-grade, Attar spec: USD 4,200–5,500 / MT
- Dust C-grade, cosmetic pack: USD 3,200–4,200 / MT
- Whole petal AA-grade, deep-red Pattoki: USD 7,500–9,500 / MT
Documentation & sampling
Standard documentation pack for a Pakistan-to-destination rose petal container:
- Commercial Invoice & Packing List
- Certificate of Origin (Chamber of Commerce)
- Phytosanitary Certificate (Department of Plant Protection)
- Fumigation Certificate (methyl bromide or phosphine, typically)
- Halal Certificate (Halal Authority Pakistan) — important for GCC cosmetics buyers
- Microbiology report (cosmetic grade — SGS or Intertek)
- Pesticide residue report (if buyer specifies)
- Non-irradiation declaration (EU buyers)
Pre-shipment sampling: 100–250 g couriered via DHL/FedEx. Always insist on sampling from the actual production lot, not a showroom sample from a previous season.
Need a rose petal container quote or sample?
Share your grade preference (whole petal / broken / dust), your end use (Attar, tea, cosmetic, potpourri) and destination port — we'll ship a 100–250 g sample and quote within 24 hours.
Related product page
Explore the full Dried Flowers & Attar Raw catalogue (rose petals, rose buds, jasmine, lavender, chamomile, marigold, hibiscus).