Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) — known in South Asia as methi — is grown across Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh belts in both winter (rabi) and summer cycles. Pakistan exports fenugreek to three distinct buyer segments: food-grade buyers in India, Egypt, and the GCC; nutraceutical buyers in the EU and US who require 4-hydroxyisoleucine content specs; and sprouting-grade buyers for retail health-food channels.
This guide walks through the three grade tiers and what importers must specify at the PI stage.
The three commercial grades
| Grade | Purity | End use |
|---|---|---|
| Food grade | 98–99% | Spice houses, curry blends, pickles, panch phoron |
| Nutraceutical grade | 99.5% + min 0.3% 4-HIL | Supplement manufacturers, diabetes nutra, extract labs |
| Sprouting / organic grade | 99.9%, ≥ 90% germination | Health-food retail, microgreens, organic channel |
Purity, moisture & 4-HIL spec
- Physical purity: 98–99.95% depending on grade
- Moisture: ≤ 10%
- Admixture: ≤ 1% (food grade), ≤ 0.1% (nutra)
- Foreign matter: ≤ 0.5%
- 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-HIL): 0.2–0.6% dry basis — the active alkaloid nutra buyers pay for
- Saponins: 4–6%
- Aflatoxin B1: ≤ 2 µg/kg (EU food limit)
- Germination (sprouting grade): ≥ 90%
Who buys Pakistani fenugreek
- India (Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi spice trade) — bulk food-grade for blends, pickles, and the masala industry.
- Egypt — traditional helba drink and Ramadan retail.
- GCC (UAE, Saudi) — spice wholesalers and re-exporters to Africa.
- EU (Germany, Netherlands, Poland) — nutra extract houses and organic sprouting channel.
- US (California, New Jersey) — nutra brands sourcing for blood-sugar supplements and traditional ayurvedic formulations.
Container loading & FOB pricing
| Packaging | 20ft FCL | 40ft HC |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg PP woven bags | 25–27 MT | 26–28 MT (weight-limited) |
| 50 kg jute bags (traditional Indian spec) | 25 MT | 26 MT |
| 1 MT jumbo bag | 22–24 MT | 24–26 MT |
Indicative 2026 FOB Karachi per MT (quote on request):
- Food grade, 98% purity: USD 1,200–1,500 / MT
- Food grade, 99% purity: USD 1,400–1,750 / MT
- Nutra grade (4-HIL spec'd): USD 1,900–2,600 / MT
- Organic sprouting grade: USD 2,400–3,200 / MT
Documentation & lab reporting
- Commercial Invoice & Packing List
- Certificate of Origin (Chamber of Commerce)
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Halal Certificate (Halal Authority Pakistan)
- Fumigation Certificate (phosphine / methyl bromide)
- Lab report pack:
- Purity, moisture, admixture
- Aflatoxin B1 + total
- Pesticide residue (EU MRL)
- 4-HIL content (nutra only — HPLC report)
- Germination certificate (sprouting only)
- Non-GMO declaration
- Organic certification (if applicable — NOP or EU-organic)
Need a fenugreek quote or spec sample?
Tell us your target grade (food / nutra / sprouting), destination market and any 4-HIL or aflatoxin spec you require — we'll send a pre-shipment sample and container PI within 48 hours.
Related product page
Explore Herbs, Culinary & Medicinal Herbs and the Oil & Medicinal Seeds catalogue (fenugreek, black cumin, flax, psyllium, coriander, mustard).