Mulberry
The dried fruit of Morus alba and Morus nigra, shaken from the tree at full ripeness and dried whole, usually in open air. White mulberry dries to a pale cream fruit with a high natural sugar content and no added sweetener; black mulberry dries dark and tart. The fruit sells into the health food and snacking trade, muesli, granola and bar manufacture, confectionery, herbal infusions, and the traditional dried fruit and nut trade of Central Asia, Turkiye and the Middle East, where it is also milled into flour and pressed into confection. It is one of the few dried fruits that requires no sugar, sulphur or infusion to reach a commercial sweetness, which is the basis of its clean label position.
Listed mulberry markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Dried mulberry is contracted on species and colour type first, then on a size expressed as a count per unit weight, then on moisture, stem content and defect limits verified on a drawn sample.
Species, colour type and drying route
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| White mulberry, Morus albaNamed on the contract | Pale cream to light tan, sweet, low acid. The volume article in the international trade. |
| Black mulberry, Morus nigraNamed on the contract | Dark purple to near black, tart, higher acid. A separate article, priced separately. |
| Red mulberryNamed on the contract | An intermediate type, contracted where the buyer specifies it. |
| Colour uniformity within the lotPercentage within the contracted colour range | The commercial differentiator in white mulberry. Darkening comes from rain during drying and from age in store. |
| Sun driedDried in open air at origin, declared | The traditional route. Carries more colour variation and a higher polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon risk where fires are used nearby. |
| Mechanically driedDried in a tunnel, cabinet or belt dryer to a stated moisture | Tighter moisture control and a cleaner microbiological result. |
| Shade driedDried out of direct sun | Retains a paler colour and commands a premium in the white article. |
| Unsulphured, naturalNo sulphur treatment | Darker, and the market prices the colour difference. Required for most organic and clean label buyers. |
| Washed or unwashedDeclared | White mulberry is frequently dried on the ground on cloth or matting. Whether it was washed before packing is a food safety term, not a preference. |
| OrganicCertified under the destination market scheme, with dedicated drying and packing lines | Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Consumer or industrial packDeclared, with the unit format | Industrial bulk and retail pack are separate products with separate specifications, not the same fruit in different boxes. |
Size and count
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Count per 100 gramsNumber of berries in one hundred grams | The controlling size term. A lower count means a larger berry. |
| Named size gradeJumbo, large, medium and standard, each tied to a stated count range | The name is shorthand for a count. The contract carries the count. |
| LengthMillimetres, minimum and average | Contracted for the long white cultivars, where presentation drives the retail price. |
| UniformityPercentage within the contracted size band | Measured on a drawn sample. |
| Broken berries and finesMaximum percentage by mass | Mulberry is fragile and travels badly. Breakage is a packing and a transit term as much as a quality one. |
Quality and condition
14 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Stem and stalk contentMaximum percentage by mass, or maximum stem length in millimetres | The defining defect of this fruit. Stems are not fully removable at origin and the allowance is negotiated, not assumed. |
| Sand, grit and soilMaximum percentage by mass | A direct consequence of ground drying. It is measured by ash after washing, not judged by eye. |
| Leaf and twigMaximum percentage by mass | Counted separately from stem. |
| ClumpingMaximum percentage of the lot in agglomerated masses | High natural sugar makes this fruit cake in warm store. It is a temperature term. |
| Moisture contentMaximum percentage by mass, by the stated method | The controlling commercial figure. It sets the weight, the shelf life and the mould risk all at once. |
| Water activityMaximum, measured at a stated temperature | The figure that actually governs microbial stability. Moisture alone will not tell you whether a lot is safe to hold. |
| UniformityPercentage of the sample within the contracted size and colour range | Measured on the drawn sample. |
| ColourAgainst a sealed reference sample, or an instrumental scale where one is contracted | Measured, not described. |
| Damaged and blemished unitsMaximum percentage by count or by mass | Mechanical damage, scarring, sunburn and discolouration, counted separately from decay. |
| Decay, mould and fermentationMaximum percentage by count or by mass | A zero tolerance term in most contracts, with a small allowance stated. |
| Insect damage and live infestationMaximum percentage by count, live insects nil | Determined by inspection of a drawn sample. Live infestation rejects a lot outright. |
| Foreign and extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stems, stones, leaves, sand, wood and any plant material other than the named fruit. |
| Pieces of the wrong formMaximum percentage by mass | Halves in a whole lot, broken pieces in a halves lot, and so on. Priced, because it is the most common quiet downgrade. |
| Sugaring and crystallisationMaximum percentage of units showing surface sugar | Cosmetic, but it is priced, and it moves with storage temperature rather than with the original quality. |
Contaminants and food safety
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| AflatoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, B1 and total | Tested against the destination market limit. The single most common cause of rejection in dried fruit. |
| Ochratoxin AMicrograms per kilogram | Tested against the destination market limit. |
| Sulphur dioxideMilligrams per kilogram | Measured whether or not the lot is declared sulphured, because carryover happens on shared lines. A declared allergen in most destination markets. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. Dried fruit concentrates residues along with everything else, so the limit is applied to the dried product. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Lead, cadmium and arsenic. |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsMicrograms per kilogram, benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of four | Comes from direct fire drying and smoke contact at origin. |
| MicrobiologyCounts per gram, with salmonella absence in the stated sample mass | Total plate count, yeasts, moulds, E. coli and salmonella. |
| Metal detection and X-rayDeclared detection thresholds for ferrous, non ferrous and stainless | Applied on the packing line and evidenced on the certificate. |
| IrradiationDeclared, treated or untreated | Destination markets differ on what they permit and on how it must be labelled. |
Certification and packing claims
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement, named with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Fairtrade or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| Food safety schemeBRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000 or an equivalent, named with the site | The packing site is named on the contract, not just the supplier. |
| Non GMODeclaration | Applies where the crop has a genetically modified counterpart. |
| PackingDeclared: carton, bag in box, vacuum, modified atmosphere or bulk bin, with the liner and net weight | Liner and atmosphere are contract terms, because they decide the moisture and the water activity on arrival rather than on shipment. |
| Storage and transit temperatureDeclared, with the range and the monitoring method | Sugaring, colour drift and moisture migration are all temperature effects. Where the contract is silent, the argument at destination is unwinnable. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Badakhshan, Panjshir, Bamyan and the northern valleys | Origin and destination |
| Uzbekistan | Fergana valley and Samarkand | Origin and destination |
| Tajikistan | Sughd, Khatlon and the Pamir valleys | Origin and destination |
| Kyrgyzstan | Osh and the Fergana rim | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Malatya, Erzincan and eastern Anatolia | Origin and destination |
| Iran | Khorasan and the northwest | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Origin and destination |
| China | Xinjiang, Shandong and the Yangtze provinces | Origin and destination |
| India | Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| Nepal | Mid hills | Origin and destination |
| Azerbaijan | Sheki and the northern districts | Origin and destination |
| Armenia | Ararat valley | Origin and destination |
| Georgia | Kakheti | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Northern Greece | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Northern plains | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Levante | Origin and destination |
| Bulgaria | Thracian plain | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Hamburg, health food trade | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam | Destination |
| United Kingdom | London and Felixstowe | Destination |
| France | Le Havre and Marseille | Destination |
| Poland | Gdansk, repacking | Destination |
| Russia | Moscow and Novorossiysk | Destination |
| Ukraine | Odesa | Destination |
| Kazakhstan | Almaty | Destination |
| United States | Los Angeles and New York | Destination |
| Canada | Vancouver and Toronto | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Jeddah | Destination |
| India (import) | Delhi and Mumbai | Destination |
| China (import) | Shanghai | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo | Destination |
| South Korea | Busan | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is processing, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to DecBadakhshan, Panjshir and Bamyan. The reference origin for large white mulberry, moving overland through Pakistan, Iran and Central Asia. | |||||
| Uzbekistan | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to NovFergana valley and Samarkand. | ||||||
| Tajikistan | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to NovSughd, Khatlon and the Pamir valleys. | ||||||
| Kyrgyzstan | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to NovOsh and the Fergana rim. | ||||||
| Turkiye | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Aug, arrival Aug to DecMalatya and eastern Anatolia. Both white and black, with a strong domestic trade that competes with export. | |||||
| Iran | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to NovKhorasan and the northwest. | ||||||
| Pakistan | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jul, arrival Jul to OctGilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. | ||||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to NovXinjiang and the Yangtze provinces, largely black mulberry. | ||||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jul, arrival Jul to OctKashmir and Himachal Pradesh. | ||||||
| Azerbaijan | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jun to Jul, arrival Aug to OctSheki and the northern districts. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for mulberry. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading0813.40 Other dried fruit, including dried mulberry
- PackingCartons of 5 kg to 12.5 kg or PP bags of 10 kg to 25 kg with food grade liner. Sulphur dioxide treatment, sorbate treatment and any added oil must be declared on the specification and the label.
- Container loading20ft: 12 t to 18 t. 40ft is normally volume limited. Chilled stow for high moisture grades such as soft prunes and semi dried figs.
- Contract and arbitrationINC and Dried Fruit and Edible Nut trade standards, European trade on the trade contract with arbitration in London, United States trade on Association of Food Industries contracts.
- Destination limitsEU sulphur dioxide limits under Regulation 1333/2008 with mandatory declaration above 10 mg/kg, ochratoxin A limits on dried vine fruit and aflatoxin limits on dried figs under Regulation 2023/915, and pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005. US FDA requires sulphite declaration.
Common questions
What grades of mulberry does SIP Global trade?
We quote 46 published grades of mulberry, including White mulberry, Morus alba - Named on the contract, Black mulberry, Morus nigra - Named on the contract, Red mulberry - Named on the contract, Colour uniformity within the lot - Percentage within the contracted colour range, Sun dried - Dried in open air at origin, declared and Mechanically dried - Dried in a tunnel, cabinet or belt dryer to a stated moisture. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is mulberry graded?
Dried mulberry is contracted on species and colour type first, then on a size expressed as a count per unit weight, then on moisture, stem content and defect limits verified on a drawn sample. Grading runs on 5 systems: Species, colour type and drying route, Size and count, Quality and condition, Contaminants and food safety and Certification and packing claims.
Where does SIP Global trade mulberry?
We trade mulberry in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Iran, Pakistan and China and 26 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is mulberry harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Afghanistan: harvest jun to jul, arrival aug to dec; Uzbekistan: harvest jun to jul, arrival aug to nov; Tajikistan: harvest jun to jul, arrival aug to nov; Kyrgyzstan: harvest jun to jul, arrival aug to nov; Turkiye: harvest jun to aug, arrival aug to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for mulberry?
Mulberry is normally classified under HS 0813.40 (other dried fruit, including dried mulberry). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for mulberry?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed mulberry market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.