Export Quality Standards for Agricultural Commodities

For most grain and pulse programs, the enforceable core is moisture, foreign matter, broken or damaged percentage, and purity or sortex level, plus commodity-specific attributes such as grain length or count per unit weight.

Each parameter needs a value, a tolerance and a test basis so results can be judged objectively.

Tolerances acknowledge that natural products vary. They should be tight enough to protect the buyer and wide enough to be achievable, otherwise every shipment becomes a negotiation.

Define what happens if a parameter falls outside tolerance: reprocessing, replacement, price adjustment or rejection, as agreed in advance.

Certification requirements differ by destination and by buyer program. Only certifications that a supply chain actually holds should appear in a contract, and buyers should ask to see current documentation rather than accept a claim.

Where a destination market imposes its own standards, verify those requirements with your import authority, since they vary by country and change over time.