Frequently Asked Questions

Because cardamom is a high-value spice, our minimum starts at 500 kg of a single grade, packed in 5 or 10 kg paper-lined cartons and consolidated as LCL freight where a full container is not yet warranted. Larger buyers run full 20-foot container programmes; mixed-grade loads are negotiated case by case. Tell us your grade and target volume and we will quote accordingly.

Whole green pods screened by size, bold 8mm and above, 7–8mm, 6–7mm and a 6mm shipment grade, plus mixed-and-split pods, decorticated cardamom seeds and organic green cardamom from documented farm clusters. Every lot ships with a moisture, volatile-oil and foreign-matter report tied to the shipped seed.

Yes, we send pre-shipment samples on request. Tell us the grade, intended use and destination and we will draw a representative sample across the lot so the colour, size, aroma and moisture you approve are an honest picture of the cardamom that ships at scale.

Standard B2B export terms, Letter of Credit (LC at sight) and Telegraphic Transfer (TT), usually structured as a deposit at contract with the balance against shipping documents. The exact terms depend on order size and buyer history; contact us to discuss.

Moisture (held at 10–12% for cured pods), volatile-oil content (the aroma driver, typically 6–8% on whole pods and higher on decorticated seeds), foreign matter, empty and immature pods, and pod size against the grade screen. Results come from an independent laboratory and are tied to the specific lot on the bill of lading.

Colour and food safety are both won in the curing. Pods are dried gently after picking so they hold their green skin instead of bleaching, and brought down to 10–12% moisture, dry enough to deny mould the conditions it needs.

Cured cardamom is then stored cool and dark in sealed, lined packaging, and representative samples are screened for moisture and, where the destination market requires, for mould and residue against its limits before despatch.

Every lot ships with an independent laboratory report for moisture, volatile oil and foreign matter, a certificate of origin, a phytosanitary certificate where the destination requires one, and traceability to the growing district. Our Tanzania Bureau of Standards certificate covers the Afri Exports facility in Mtwara, which handles cashew and sesame; cardamom is cured and graded in the highlands, so we do not describe it as TBS-certified. Organic chain-of-custody on our organic lots is arranged per contract. Tell us your programme requirements and we will confirm what we can document.

Yes. Every carton is tied to a specific Tanzanian highland origin, the Uluguru Mountains of Morogoro or the Usambara Mountains of Tanga, and to a defined picking window inside the season. That traceability is how we hold colour, size and aroma consistent across repeat orders.

Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania's main commercial gateway, serves our highland cardamom from both the Morogoro and Tanga growing areas. We quote FOB by default; CIF and CFR terms are available on request.

Container vessels from Dar es Salaam typically reach the Persian Gulf in 10 to 14 days, the Indian subcontinent in 14 to 21 days, and northern Europe in 30 to 35 days. Actual transit depends on direct service versus transshipment, and we plan packaging and liners so the cardamom arrives dry and aromatic.

Whole pods ship in 5, 10 or 25 kg paper-lined export cartons that protect colour and aroma, with vacuum-sealed kilogram packs available for buyers who want retail-ready units. Decorticated seeds ship in vacuum-sealed cartons with a food-grade liner. Mixed-and-split lots can move in cartons or lined PP bags.

Commercial invoice and a detailed packing list with lot numbers, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, laboratory reports covering moisture, volatile oil and foreign matter (with any residue screening the destination requires), and the bill of lading with full loading details.

Cardamom ripens unevenly, so the crop is hand-picked in several rounds through the second half of the year, the main picking and curing window runs from roughly September into December. Peak export volume of new-crop cardamom moves in the fourth quarter and into the first quarter of the following year.

Yes, cured cardamom is held in cool, dry, sealed storage and shipped throughout the year. New-crop availability is strongest from around September; buyers with tight colour or oil-content specs often contract early against the fresh crop.

We quote Tanzanian green cardamom for importers, packers and manufacturers worldwide. Current target markets include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, France, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India and nearby markets. Send your destination port and importer requirements so we can confirm routing and documents before contract.