World SeedFennel, Saunf (Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel seed (saunf) is the sweet, anise-flavoured fruit of a cool-season umbellifer harvested in Pakistan in March–April and exported in bold green, machine-clean and Sortex grades. The seed carries 1.5–3.5 % essential oil in which trans-anethole is the main component, which is what buyers of tea, spice blends and extracts pay for. This page gives the agronomy, the export specification and where it is grown and sold.
Botanical identity and type
Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Apiaceae (sweet fennel, var. dulce, seed types).
Origin / type: Mediterranean umbellifer; bold-seeded Pakistani landrace grown as a cool-season crop in Sindh and Punjab.
Crop type: Biennial grown as an annual cool-season spice crop for whole seed, tea and essential oil.
Fennel is a 1–1.8 m aromatic plant with hollow stems, feathery leaves and yellow compound umbels. Sown in October–November on well-drained loam it flowers in 90–110 days and the fruits, ridged and 6–10 mm long, are harvested umbel by umbel over three to four weeks from February to April as they turn from green to yellow-green. Harvesting slightly early and drying in shade keeps the green colour that the bold green grade is sold on; late harvest gives a yellow-brown seed with lower oil. Yield is 1.0–1.8 t/ha. The seed contains 1.5–3.5 % volatile oil (trans-anethole 60–80 %, with fenchone, estragole and limonene), 10–12 % fixed oil and 15–18 % protein. Sweet fennel types with low fenchone are preferred for tea and confectionery; bitter types with more fenchone for pharmacy.
Three grades are exported. Bold green is the largest, greenest seed, screened over a 6 mm sieve and colour-sorted; machine-clean is air-screen, destoner and gravity cleaned to 99 % purity with up to 1 % admixture; Sortex adds optical sorting to 99.5 % purity with stalks and dark seed removed. All ship at 10 % moisture or less. European and US buyers require pesticide-residue tests against Regulation (EC) 396/2005 and a Salmonella-negative certificate; ethylene oxide is not used and steam treatment is applied where a buyer specifies it. Fennel is not exported as sowing seed from this range; an ISTA germination test is arranged on request.
Fennel shares its season, soils and cleaning line with cumin, nigella and fenugreek. The export calendar shows the March–April harvest; the container table explains why this light seed loads at 13–15 MT per 20-ft.
Agronomy at a glance
Figures are typical ranges under good management; local trials should confirm rates for a specific site. Use the sowing rate tables to convert kg/ha to per-acre, per-feddan or per-jerib rates.
| Parameter | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Sowing rate | 8–10 kg/ha direct drilled; 3–4 kg/ha via nursery and transplant (typical) |
| Sowing depth | 1–2 cm |
| Row spacing | 45–60 cm rows, 20–25 cm within row |
| Days to harvest | 150–180 days; umbels picked over 3–4 weeks |
| Harvests per season | 1 (sequential umbel picking) |
| Yield, seed | 1.0–1.8 t/ha (typical); up to 2.2 t/ha irrigated |
| Yield, straw | 3–4 t/ha dry |
| Essential oil / protein | 1.5–3.5 % volatile oil (anethole 60–80 %); 15–18 % protein |
| Soil pH | 6.5–8.0; well-drained loam |
| Water need | 400–550 mm; 5–6 irrigations; dry weather at ripening |
| Temperature | Optimum 15–25 °C; tolerates light frost in vegetative stage; frost at flowering cuts set |
| Salinity tolerance | Low to moderate: threshold ECe ~2–3 dS/m |
| Seeds per kg | 150,000–200,000 (1000-seed weight 5–7 g) |
Export seed standards
Standards below are those written on the ISTA-format test report issued with each export lot. See how purity and germination standards work and how to read the report.
| Parameter | Export standard | Method / note |
|---|---|---|
| Purity (sound, clean seed) | 99.0 % min (Sortex 99.5 %) | Machine-cleaned; optical sorted where stated |
| Moisture | 10 % max | Oven or calibrated capacitance meter at dispatch |
| Admixture / foreign matter | 1.0 % max (Sortex 0.5 %) | Stones, stalks, dust, other seed by weight |
| Germination | Not tested — edible/spice grade | Sowing-grade lots are tested on request (ISTA method) |
| Volatile oil | 1.5 % min (bold green typically 2.5–3.5 %) | Steam distillation on composite sample |
| Bold green grade | Over 6 mm screen; green colour retained | Sieve grading and colour sorting; stated on COA |
| Total ash / acid-insoluble ash | 9 % max / 1.5 % max | ISO 7927 method |
| Ethylene oxide | Not used | Steam treatment on request |
Where it is grown
Fennel is sown in October–November in Sindh (Hyderabad, Matiari, Nawabshah, Khairpur) and southern Punjab (Multan, Vehari, Bahawalpur) and harvested from February to April. Cleaning and sorting are complete by May and new-crop seed ships from then.
Importing markets: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Malaysia. The Gulf and Egypt buy whole seed for retail and mouth-freshener blends; the United States, UK and Germany for tea, spice blends and extract; Brazil and Malaysia for grinding and food service.
Buying notes
Fennel Seed (Saunf) is exported by Kohenoor International from Karachi and Port Qasim under HS 0909.61. Standard pack is 25 kg / 50 kg; minimum order 1 x 20ft. Harvest February–April; new crop from May. Every shipment carries a phytosanitary certificate (Department of Plant Protection, Pakistan), a certificate of origin, an ISTA-format purity and germination report, packing list and invoice; fumigation certificate and COA on request.
Pricing, samples and shipment planning are handled on the specialist product site: herbnseed.com. For loading weights see the container capacity table; for destination paperwork see phytosanitary requirements by destination.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| HS code | 0909.61 |
| Pack | 25 kg / 50 kg |
| Minimum order | 1 x 20ft |
| Purity / germination on report | 99% min / n/a |
| Shipping terms | FOB or CIF Karachi / Port Qasim |
| Specialist site | herbnseed.com |
Frequently asked questions
What is bold green fennel?
The largest, greenest grade of fennel seed: fruits over a 6 mm screen, harvested slightly before full ripeness and shade-dried to keep the green colour, then colour-sorted. It carries the highest oil (typically 2.5–3.5 %) and is the grade for retail packing and tea.
What essential oil content should I expect?
1.5–3.5 % by steam distillation, with trans-anethole at 60–80 % of the oil. Oil is highest in bold green seed harvested early and declines slowly in storage; keep below 10 % moisture and out of light.
Sweet or bitter fennel?
Pakistani seed types are sweet fennel (var. dulce) with low fenchone, suited to tea, confectionery and spice blends. Bitter fennel with 10–20 % fenchone is a European pharmacy type and is not in this range.
Does Pakistani fennel meet EU residue rules?
Lots for the EU are tested against Regulation (EC) 396/2005 MRLs by an accredited laboratory before shipment, with a Salmonella-negative certificate. Ethylene oxide is never used; steam treatment is applied where the buyer specifies it.
What is the HS code for fennel seed?
HS 0909.61 (seeds of anise, badian, caraway or fennel; juniper berries, neither crushed nor ground). Each shipment carries a phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, COA and packing list.
Need Fennel Seed (Saunf) seed?
The knowledge base is maintained by Kohenoor International's agronomy team. Quotes for Fennel Seed (Saunf) are handled by the export desk and the specialist site linked in the buying notes.
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