Start Here: Why Pulse Shipments Arrive Weevilled
Infestation on arrival is the single most common quality dispute in pulse trade, and almost every case follows the same pattern. The cargo passes visual inspection at load port. Three weeks later it arrives visibly weevilled. The buyer assumes bad material was shipped; the supplier insists it left clean. Both are usually telling the truth.
Storage pest eggs present in the grain at loading are not visible on inspection. They hatch in transit, in a warm sealed container, often accelerated by moisture. By the time the doors open the damage is done and the argument is unwinnable in either direction. The only useful approach is prevention, and there are four controls that matter:
Write all four into the contract, not just fumigation. A fumigation certificate on its own means little if the cargo was then loaded into a container with residue from a previous grain shipment, or packed in reused sacks. For long routes or humid transhipment ports, tighten the moisture limit below the standard maximum — it costs relatively little at origin and prevents a far more expensive problem on arrival.
Specify the Form, Not Just the Pulse
The second most common problem in pulse ordering is receiving the right pulse in the wrong form. Terms like "moong dal" and "urad dal" are used loosely across markets and can refer to at least three different products each. Be precise:
Three of these decisions are functional rather than cosmetic. Moong bought for sprouting must be whole and must not have been heat treated, since heat destroys germination capacity entirely — if sprouting is your end use, put a minimum germination rate on the contract. Urad for idli and dosa batter must be split white and fresh crop, because older stock ferments poorly and aerates less. And chana dal specifically means split dehusked desi chana: if you need whole white chickpeas you are looking for kabuli, specified by calibre in millimetres rather than purity grade.
Quality Parameters Common to All Pulses
Whichever pulse you are buying, the Certificate of Analysis should cover the same core parameters. These are the standard industry specifications — your actual batch values come from a lot-matched COA:
The parameter buyers most often skip is weevilled grains — and it is the one that predicts arrival condition. A lot at 1 percent weevilled at loading is not the same risk as a lot at 3 percent, even if both look acceptable in a sample bag.
HS Codes for Pulses
Each pulse has its own code and declaring the wrong one causes customs delays and incorrect duty assessment:
Documentation for Pulse Imports
The document set is broadly the same across all pulses. One item matters more here than in most agricultural trade:
- Fumigation Certificate — dated before container stuffing, not after. Check the date. A certificate issued after loading tells you the fumigation happened at the wrong point in the process.
- Certificate of Analysis — batch-specific from an accredited laboratory, with the lot number matching your consignment. Covers purity, moisture, damage, weevilled percentage and pesticide residue.
- Phytosanitary Certificate — issued by the Plant Quarantine Authority of India. Required for all destinations.
- Certificate of Origin — required everywhere, and applicable for preferential tariff rates under India's trade agreements.
- FSSAI Certificate — confirms the processing facility's food safety licence.
- Commercial Invoice, Packing List and Bill of Lading — full original set, normally provided within 24 hours of the Bill of Lading date.
- Third-party inspection certificate — optional but strongly recommended on first transactions and long routes. SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek.
For a complete breakdown of every export document and which apply to your product and destination, see our complete export documents checklist.
Buyer Checklist Before You Contract
- Specify the form, not just the pulse — whole, split, with skin, without skin, polished or unpolished
- Agree a moisture maximum, and tighten it below standard for long or humid routes
- Require the fumigation certificate dated before stuffing, and check the date on receipt
- Specify new packaging explicitly — reused sacks are a known reinfestation route
- Put a maximum weevilled percentage in the contract, not just broken and damaged
- State germination rate if buying moong for sprouting, and rule out heat treatment
- State fresh crop if buying urad for fermented batter
- Confirm the HS code before shipment
- Arrange third-party inspection on first orders and long transits
Get a Quote for Pulses from India
Six major pulses in all commercial forms. Fumigation certificate issued before loading, batch-specific COA with every shipment, third-party inspection available. FOB or CIF within 24 hours.
Pulse Products from India
Full specifications, forms and commercial terms for each pulse:
- Toor Dal (Pigeon Peas) — polished & unpolished · HS 0713.60
- Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas) — split desi, dehusked · HS 0713.20
- Moong Dal (Green Gram) — four forms, sprouting grade · HS 0713.31
- Urad Dal (Black Gram) — batter grade available · HS 0713.31
- Masoor Dal (Lentils) — red & brown, whole & split · HS 0713.40
- Yellow Peas — whole, split, protein grade · HS 0713.10
- Basmati Rice 1121 — extra long grain, APEDA registered
- Wheat — milling and durum grades
- Groundnuts (Peanuts) — aflatoxin tested by HPLC
- Turmeric — Powder & Finger — curcumin 2–12% by HPLC