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Indian Okra

Tender Indian okra (lady's finger) — calibrated 5–12 cm, retail-ready and export-grade. Indian okra / lady's finger — tender, fiber-free, calibrated by length 5–12 cm. Available year-round, RFC loading from Mundra, JNPT.

Mahyco / Hybrid · TraditionalYear-RoundHS 07099970
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Indian Okra
The category

Why Indian okra for export

India is the world's largest producer of okra (lady's finger / bhindi), accounting for over 70% of global supply. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh together produce the majority of export-grade volume, with year-round availability through overlapping cropping cycles.

Indian okra ships in three primary length grades: baby (4–6 cm, premium retail), standard (6–9 cm, the workhorse), and medium (9–12 cm, food service). Critical quality parameters are tenderness (snap-test grade) and colour (bright green with no blackening at the stem). Pods that pass through the calibration line are pre-cooled within 4 hours of harvest to preserve tenderness.

ZoeM sources from grower networks in Pune-Nashik (Maharashtra) and Anand (Gujarat), with packhouses doing rapid hydro-cooling, calibration by camera grader, and packing into vented punnets or cartons. Container loading from Mundra and JNPT covers GCC, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Variety guide

Compare varieties & grades

We supply the variety and grade most appropriate to your target market and end use. Below is a side-by-side comparison.

Volume choice

Mahyco / Hybrid (Baby & Standard)

Modern hybrid varieties — uniform tender pods, dark green colour, high yield. Calibrated baby (4–6 cm) and standard (6–9 cm) grades.

  • Pod length Baby: 4–6 cm · Standard: 6–9 cm
  • Colour Dark green, no blackening
  • Texture Tender, no fiber, easy snap-test pass
  • Shelf life 10–14 days at 7–10°C
  • Top markets UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany, Netherlands
Specialty / South Asian retail

Traditional (Pusa Sawani, Local)

Open-pollinated traditional varieties — slightly larger pods (8–12 cm), more pronounced flavour. Strong demand from South Asian diaspora retail.

  • Pod length 8–12 cm typical
  • Colour Bright to medium green
  • Texture Tender at correct harvest stage
  • Top markets South Asian diaspora retail (UK, Canada, USA)
Origin

Where ZoeM sources from

Primary regions: Maharashtra · Gujarat · Karnataka. Full sourcing footprint: Maharashtra (Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad), Gujarat (Anand, Vadodara, Surat), Karnataka (Belgaum, Hassan), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Allahabad).

Season: Year-round availability with peak quality Mar–Sep; winter supply from southern states.

We work with farmer producer organisations (FPOs), cooperatives and direct grower networks in each region. Pre-shipment grading and quality control happens at FSSAI-licensed packhouses and processing facilities close to the source farms, minimising post-harvest delay.

Specifications

Trade specifications

Standard export specifications. Custom grading available on confirmed orders.

HS Code07099970 (Other Vegetables, Fresh — Okra)
Botanical NameAbelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench
Origin StatesMaharashtra (primary), Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh
VarietiesHybrid (Mahyco etc.), Pusa Sawani, local traditional
Length GradesBaby 4–6 cm · Standard 6–9 cm · Medium 9–12 cm
PackagingVented punnets 200/250/500 g or vented cartons 5 kg bulk
Container loadingApprox. 10–12 MT per 40' RFC HC
Reefer temperature7–10°C with 90–95% RH
Shelf life10–14 days at 7–10°C from harvest
Shipping portsMundra, JNPT, Chennai
Quality assurance

Certifications & quality control

Every shipment is certified, lab-tested, and traceable to its source. This is non-negotiable for our buyers and forms the spine of our supplier relationships.

APEDAAgricultural & Processed Food Export Authority — Government of India
FSSAIFood Safety & Standards Authority of India license
GAPGood Agricultural Practices — farm-level certification
MSME / UdyamIndian Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
IECImporter-Exporter Code — DGFT
NABL Lab TestingPre-shipment testing at NABL-accredited Indian labs

Pre-shipment lab testing — every shipment ships with a NABL-accredited lab report covering relevant quality and safety parameters for the product type (moisture, residues, microbiological, density, colour, etc.). The report travels with the shipment documentation.

Phytosanitary & fumigation — we arrange Indian Plant Quarantine Department phytosanitary certificates and any required pre-shipment fumigation per the importing country’s regulations.

Traceability — we record source farm, packhouse, processing date and container number for every shipment.

Buyer questions

Frequently asked questions

What length grades are available?
Three: Baby (4–6 cm), Standard (6–9 cm), Medium (9–12 cm). Standard is the most-shipped grade. Custom length spec possible on bulk orders.
Is okra available year-round?
Yes. Indian okra is grown across multiple climatic zones with overlapping cropping cycles. Peak quality March–September; winter supply continues from southern states.
How is tenderness verified?
Snap-test at the packhouse. Pods that bend without snapping are graded as fibrous and rejected before packing. Camera graders also calibrate by length and colour.
What is the shelf life?
10–14 days at 7–10°C with 90–95% RH from packhouse to destination. Hydro-cooling within 4 hours of harvest is critical.
How many MT in a 40' container?
Approximately 10–12 MT per 40' RFC HC depending on packaging mix.
Which destinations work best?
GCC, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia. Premium cold-chain shipments reach US East Coast.
What certifications?
APEDA registered, FSSAI licensed, GAP-certified source farms, phytosanitary certificate per shipment, residue testing on confirmed orders.