Fonio
Fonio is the grain of two West African millets, Digitaria exilis and Digitaria iburua, cultivated across the Sahel and the savanna belt for several thousand years and among the fastest maturing cereals grown anywhere. The grain is extremely small, roughly a millimetre, pale cream to light brown, and it grows on poor soil in a short rainy season. It carries no gluten. Fonio is steamed like couscous, cooked as a porridge, milled into flour for breads and pastries, and used in cereals, bars and infant food. It is also brewed and fed to livestock as chaff.
Listed fonio markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Fonio is graded on how thoroughly the tiny grain has been dehulled and cleaned, on sieve size, and on the analytical figures a food manufacturer contracts against.
Physical purity and condition
14 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SpeciesDigitaria exilis, white fonio, or Digitaria iburua, black fonio, declared | Grain size, colour and cooking behaviour differ between them. |
| Processing statePaddy, dehulled, whitened and washed, or precooked, declared | The dominant price driver, because dehulling this grain is difficult and labour intensive. |
| Dehulling completenessMaximum percentage by mass of husked grain remaining | Determined by inspection under magnification of a weighed sample. |
| Sand and gritMaximum percentage by mass | The characteristic defect of the crop, because threshing is done on the ground. Determined by flotation and by acid insoluble ash. |
| PurityMinimum percentage by mass of sound seed of the named species | Determined by hand separation of a weighed sample after sieving. |
| Other seedsMaximum count or percentage by mass | Seeds of any other cultivated or wild species, separated and weighed. |
| Foreign and extraneous matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stones, soil, chaff, stalk, husk fragments and any non seed material. |
| Broken and damaged seedMaximum percentage by mass | Split, cracked, shrivelled, heat damaged, sprouted and insect bored seed, separated and weighed. |
| Sieve analysisRetained and passing stated apertures | Test sieves to ISO 5223. Sets the size band and separates fines. |
| Thousand seed massGrams per 1000 seeds | Determined by ISO 520. The compact measure of seed size and fill. |
| Bulk densityKilograms per hectolitre | A filled standard measure, weighed. Drives stowage and container fill. |
| ColourCIELAB coordinates on a stated instrument, or against a sealed sample | Colour type is a contract term where the crop trades in more than one colour. |
| Live and dead insectsAbsence, or count per stated sample mass | Determined by sieving and inspection. |
| Mould and odourAbsence of visible mould and of any foreign odour | Assessed on a drawn sample. |
Analytical requirements
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acid insoluble ashMaximum percentage by mass | The objective measure of residual sand and soil. The controlling figure for this crop. |
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by ISO 712. The controlling figure for storage life and shipping mass. |
| ProteinPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by ISO 20483, Kjeldahl, with the conversion factor stated. |
| Total ashMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by incineration at a stated temperature. |
| Crude fatPercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by solvent extraction. |
| Crude fibrePercentage by mass, dry basis | Determined by acid and alkali digestion. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, tested against destination market limits. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Cadmium, lead and arsenic, tested against destination market limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, and absence of Salmonella in a stated mass | Contracted to destination market limits. |
| GlutenMilligrams per kilogram, by ELISA | Tested where the lot is sold as gluten free, because cross contact happens in shared handling, not in the crop. |
Production and certification claims
6 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU, NOP, JAS or an equivalence arrangement. Named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
| Non GMODeclaration, with PCR testing where required | Tested where the destination market or the buyer requires evidence rather than declaration. |
| Fairtrade or equivalentCertificate and transaction certificate | Named scheme, with the transaction certificate issued for the specific lot. |
| Identity preservedDocumented chain of custody | Segregation from field to container, evidenced at every transfer. |
| Kosher and HalalCertificate from the named authority | Certificate travels with the lot. |
| TreatmentDeclared | Fumigant, heat treatment or steam pasteurisation, with the agent and the schedule declared, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Africa | Origin |
| Guinea | Africa | Origin |
| Mali | Africa | Origin |
| Burkina Faso | Africa | Origin |
| Senegal | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Cote d Ivoire | Africa | Origin |
| Ghana | Africa | Origin |
| Togo | Africa | Origin |
| Benin | Africa | Origin |
| Niger | Africa | Origin |
| Chad | Africa | Origin |
| Sierra Leone | Africa | Origin |
| Guinea-Bissau | Africa | Origin |
| Gambia | Africa | Origin |
| Cameroon | Africa | Origin |
| Sudan | Africa | Origin |
| Ethiopia | Africa | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Africa | Destination |
| South Africa | Africa | Destination |
| Morocco | Africa | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Belgium | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| Italy | Europe | Destination |
| Spain | Europe | Destination |
| Portugal | Europe | Destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
| Brazil | South America | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Destination |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| Australia | Oceania | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to FebThe Fouta Djallon highlands, the largest producing area. | ||||||
| Nigeria | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanThe Jos plateau and the northern states. Both white and black fonio. | |||||||
| Mali | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanSouthern regions along the Niger. | |||||||
| Burkina Faso | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanWestern and southwestern provinces. | |||||||
| Senegal | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Oct to DecKedougou and the southeast. Short haul to Dakar. | ||||||||
| Cote d Ivoire | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanNorthern savanna districts. | |||||||
| Togo | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanNorthern regions. | |||||||
| Benin | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest Sep to Nov, arrival Nov to JanAtacora and the north. |
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 fonio. 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 heading1008.40 Fonio (Digitaria spp.)
- PackingPP woven or jute bags of 25 kg to 50 kg, 1 t big bags, or bulk in a container liner. Moisture at load is the operative clause on every grain and seed contract.
- Container loading20ft: 21 t to 26 t bagged or bulk lined. 40ft is volume limited around 26 t. Bulk vessel parcels price against the same specification with an independent superintendent at load.
- Contract and arbitrationGAFTA contracts, GAFTA 119 for containerised and the GAFTA 100 series for bulk, with GAFTA Arbitration Rules No. 125 in London and sampling and analysis under GAFTA 124.
- Destination limitsEU pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, mycotoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, phytosanitary certification under Regulation 2016/2031 and GMO controls where the crop has genetically modified varieties. US FDA FSMA and, where applicable, USDA AMS grading.
Common questions
What grades of fonio does SIP Global trade?
We quote 31 published grades of fonio, including Species - Digitaria exilis, white fonio, or Digitaria iburua, black fonio, declared, Processing state - Paddy, dehulled, whitened and washed, or precooked, declared, Dehulling completeness - Maximum percentage by mass of husked grain remaining, Sand and grit - Maximum percentage by mass, Purity - Minimum percentage by mass of sound seed of the named species and Other seeds - Maximum count or percentage by mass. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is fonio graded?
Fonio is graded on how thoroughly the tiny grain has been dehulled and cleaned, on sieve size, and on the analytical figures a food manufacturer contracts against. Grading runs on 3 systems: Physical purity and condition, Analytical requirements and Production and certification claims.
Where does SIP Global trade fonio?
We trade fonio in Nigeria, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cote d Ivoire, Ghana and Togo and 27 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is fonio harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Guinea: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to feb; Nigeria: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Mali: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Burkina Faso: harvest sep to nov, arrival nov to jan; Senegal: harvest sep to nov, arrival oct 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 fonio?
Fonio is normally classified under HS 1008.40 (fonio (digitaria spp.)). 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 fonio?
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. 2 listed fonio markets are 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.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- 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.