Moringa
Moringa is the leaf, seed and pod of Moringa oleifera, a fast growing drought tolerant tree native to the Indian subcontinent and now planted across the tropics. The leaf is stripped, shade dried and milled into a green powder sold into supplements, smoothie and beverage blends, food fortification programmes and cosmetic formulations, valued for its protein, mineral and polyphenol content. The seed is pressed for ben oil, a stable oil used in cosmetics and lubrication, and the press cake has an established use as a water clarifying agent. The immature pod, the drumstick, is a vegetable traded fresh and frozen.
Listed moringa markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Moringa is contracted on the fraction, the drying route and the microbiological specification together. Because the volume article is a green leaf powder eaten uncooked, colour retention and microbial load are the terms that most often decide whether a lot is accepted.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Moringa oleifera Lam.The commercial article | The binomial is the contract. Moringa stenopetala and other species are traded in small volume and are contracted separately. |
| Plant partDeclared | Leaf, seed, seed oil, press cake, pod or root. Root is regulated separately in several destinations and is not a substitute for leaf. |
| Leaf only verificationCertificate of analysis, with the method | Microscopic examination confirming the absence of stem, petiole and other plant parts, which is the standard adulteration route in leaf powder. |
| Novel food and regulatory statusDeclared, with the reference | Destination market status for the specific fraction, named on the contract. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Macroscopic and microscopic examination against a retained reference sample. |
Physical form and processing route
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Leaf powderDeclared, with the mesh | Shade dried, milled leaf. The volume article. |
| Particle sizeMesh, or micrometres | The sieve specification, contracted for mouthfeel and for capsule filling. |
| Stem and petiole contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by microscopy and by hand separation. The main quality difference between two powders of the same origin. |
| ColourDeclared, against a retained reference sample, or by instrumental colour measurement | Bright green is the premium. Yellow or olive material indicates sun drying, heat or age, and it is the first thing a buyer looks at. |
| Drying routeDeclared, with the temperature | Shade dried, low temperature air dried, or freeze dried. Sun drying costs colour and nutrient content and it is declared, not assumed. |
| Cut leafDeclared, with the cut size | Leaf cut to a stated screen for tea use. |
| Whole dried leafDeclared | Intact leaflets for tea and for onward milling. |
| Seed, shelled or unshelledDeclared | Cleaned seed for pressing. |
| Cold pressed seed oilDeclared, with the pressing route and the filtration | Ben oil, unrefined or refined. |
| Press cakeDeclared | The residue after pressing, sold into feed and into water treatment use. |
| ExtractDeclared, with the solvent, the ratio and the residual solvent limit | Concentrated leaf fractions for supplement use. |
Composition and assay
11 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Crude proteinPercentage by mass, minimum | The headline nutritional marker for leaf powder. |
| Total dietary fibrePercentage by mass | Reported for labelling. |
| Mineral profileMilligrams per hundred grams | Calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, reported for labelling and for fortification use. |
| Vitamin contentMilligrams or micrograms per hundred grams | Vitamin A as beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, reported with the date of analysis because they degrade. |
| Chlorophyll contentMilligrams per hundred grams | The objective measure behind the colour term. |
| Total polyphenolsMilligrams of gallic acid equivalent per hundred grams | Reported for supplement labelling. |
| Glucosinolate and isothiocyanate contentMicromoles per gram | Glucomoringin and moringin, the characteristic markers, reported where the buyer contracts on them. |
| Oleic acid content of the oilPercentage of total fatty acids | The defining fatty acid of ben oil and the reason it is oxidatively stable. |
| Free fatty acid content of the oilPercentage as oleic acid, maximum | The freshness marker for the pressed oil. |
| Peroxide value of the oilMilliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram, maximum | Oxidation state at the time of analysis. |
| Water activityDeclared, maximum | The stability term for the powder in the drum. |
Purity and contaminants
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Loss on drying, or moisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying or by the entrainment method. It governs mould risk in the bag and it is weight the buyer is not paying botanical prices for. |
| Foreign organic matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Soil, stones, stems where stems are not the article, other plant species and any material other than the named part, separated by hand and weighed. |
| Total ashPercentage by mass, maximum | Mineral residue after incineration. |
| Acid-insoluble ashPercentage by mass, maximum | The sand and silica fraction, and the classical measure of how carefully the material was lifted and washed. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, against CXS 193 and the destination limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Multi-residue screen against the destination market limits. Contracted on every lot destined for the European Union, Japan or a certified organic buyer. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum | Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Field dried botanicals carry the risk and the destination sets the ceiling. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, maximum, with the pathogen absence criteria | Total aerobic count, yeasts and moulds, bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella. |
| Irradiation and sterilisationDeclared | Steam sterilised, ethylene oxide treated, irradiated or untreated. Declared on the contract, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Origin, legality and delivery
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wild collected or cultivatedDeclared | It drives availability, the legality file and, in several of these articles, the marker chemistry. |
| Legality and collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Export permit, forest or land access agreement, or community collection agreement, travelling with the lot. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, FairWild, Fair for Life, Rainforest Alliance or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Crop year and harvest dateDeclared | Marker compounds decline with age. The crop year is a price term, not a formality. |
| PackingDeclared | Paper sacks, polypropylene bags, cartons, fibre drums or bulk bags, with the liner and the pallet configuration specified. |
| Sampling planDeclared | How many packages are sampled, by whom, and against which retained reference sample. Field dried botanicals are heterogeneous between bags. |
| Sterilisation routeDeclared | Steam treatment where the destination requires a microbial reduction step, because leaf powder is consumed without cooking. Named explicitly, since destination markets differ on what they permit. |
| Crop cycleDeclared | Leaf is cut several times a year on a coppice cycle, and the cut number and season are recorded with the lot. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| India | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana | Origin and destination |
| Philippines | Luzon and the Visayas | Origin |
| Ghana | Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and the Northern Region | Origin |
| Nigeria | Oyo, Kwara and the middle belt | Origin |
| Kenya | Eastern and Coast counties | Origin |
| Tanzania | Morogoro and the coastal belt | Origin |
| Uganda | The central and eastern districts | Origin |
| Malawi | The Southern Region | Origin |
| Senegal | Thies and the Niayes | Origin |
| Burkina Faso | The Centre and the Hauts-Bassins | Origin |
| Ethiopia | The Southern Nations and the Rift Valley | Origin |
| Thailand | The central and northeastern provinces | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | The Mekong Delta and the south central coast | Origin and destination |
| Cambodia | Kampong Cham and the Mekong provinces | Origin |
| Nicaragua | Leon and Chinandega | Origin |
| Mexico | Sinaloa, Nayarit and Yucatan | Origin and destination |
| Peru | Piura and the northern coast | Origin |
| Paraguay | The Chaco and the eastern region | Origin |
| Sri Lanka | The dry zone and the Western Province | Origin |
| United States | Florida and Hawaii as origins, and the mainland supplement trade as a destination | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr ingredient cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the food ingredient cluster | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the health food cluster | Destination |
| France | Le Havre and Marseille | Destination |
| Italy | Genoa and the Lombardy supplement cluster | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona and Valencia | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and British Columbia | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Busan | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai and Jebel Ali | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the plant material is lifted or cut at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, cleaning, milling or extraction, laboratory clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecLeaf is cut on a coppice cycle several times a year, so supply is continuous. The monsoon months give the heaviest flush and the poorest drying conditions at the same time. |
| Philippines | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecYear round cutting, with the typhoon season the main interruption to drying and shipping. |
| Ghana | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecContinuous cutting, with the dry season from November to March giving the best drying and the brightest colour. |
| Kenya | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecRolling cutting, with the dry months preferred for shade drying quality. |
| Nicaragua | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Nov to May, arrival Dec to JunCutting concentrates in the dry season, which is when drying and colour retention work. | ||||
| Vietnam | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecYear round cutting in the south, with mechanical drying used through the wet months. |
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 moringa. 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 heading1211.90 Plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy, including moringa leaf
- PackingMultiwall paper sacks or PP bags of 20 kg to 25 kg with food grade liner, or fibre drums for powders and extracts. Sieve size, ash and foreign organic matter stated at load.
- Container loading20ft: 8 t to 14 t. Volume limited for whole leaf and root, weight limited for powders and extracts.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on specification with a certificate of analysis, botanical identity confirmed by macroscopic or HPTLC identification. European Herbal Infusions Association quality guidance and the terms of the importing association. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU novel food authorisation under Regulation 2015/2283 for species without a history of consumption before May 1997, the Article 8 list under Regulation 1925/2006, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, pyrrolizidine alkaloid limits on herbal infusions and aflatoxin and ochratoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, and CITES for listed species. US: FDA dietary supplement rules with new dietary ingredient notification.
Common questions
What grades of moringa does SIP Global trade?
We quote 44 published grades of moringa, including Moringa oleifera Lam. - The commercial article, Plant part - Declared, Leaf only verification - Certificate of analysis, with the method, Novel food and regulatory status - Declared, with the reference, Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method and Leaf powder - Declared, with the mesh. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is moringa graded?
Moringa is contracted on the fraction, the drying route and the microbiological specification together. Because the volume article is a green leaf powder eaten uncooked, colour retention and microbial load are the terms that most often decide whether a lot is accepted. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Composition and assay, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade moringa?
We trade moringa in India, Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi and 23 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is moringa harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are India: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Philippines: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Ghana: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Kenya: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Nicaragua: harvest nov to may, arrival dec to jun. 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 moringa?
Moringa is normally classified under HS 1211.90 (plants and parts of plants used primarily in pharmacy, including moringa leaf). 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 moringa?
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 moringa 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.