Can I get a sample before ordering?

Almost always. Sample quantity and courier cost are agreed directly with the supplier. For coffee and cocoa we recommend cupping or testing before any first order, regardless of verification level.

How far ahead should I plan for a specific harvest?

For a specific origin and crop year, several months. If your timeline is tight, say so early — it changes which suppliers can realistically quote.

Do suppliers handle export documentation?

Some do, some have never shipped beyond Asia. We tell you which is which, because a supplier who needs documentation support is not a bad supplier — it just changes who does the work.

HS 09 · 18

Agricultural commodities, specified properly.

Most agricultural sourcing goes wrong at the specification stage, not the negotiation stage. A request for “Indonesian coffee” cannot be quoted; a request for washed arabica, screen 16+, 12% moisture, current crop can be quoted the same day. This page covers what to pin down before asking.

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What we can source

Product groups in this category.

Coffee

Arabica and robusta, green or roasted. Origin matters commercially — Gayo, Toraja, Java, and Flores each carry different cup profiles and different price expectations.

Cocoa

Beans, and in some cases butter, liquor, or powder. Fermentation level and bean count per 100g are the two attributes buyers ask about first.

Spices

Cloves, nutmeg, mace, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla. Available whole or ground, with very different handling and pricing between the two.

Coconut derivatives

Virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut sugar, charcoal, coir. Kalimantan and Sulawesi both produce these at export scale.

What to specify

The details that decide the price.

A supplier who cannot answer these cannot quote. Sending them up front is the single fastest way to get comparable numbers back.

Grade: Coffee is graded by defect count and screen size; cocoa by bean count and mould percentage. Ask which grading standard the supplier uses — they are not universal.
Processing method: Washed, natural, honey, or wet-hulled for coffee. Fermented and sun-dried for cocoa. This changes flavour and price more than origin does.
Moisture content: Usually the first thing rejected on arrival. Green coffee is commonly specified at 11–12.5%; cocoa around 7.5%. State your maximum, not a range.
Crop year: Old crop and new crop are different products commercially. Specify which you will accept.
Cleanliness: Foreign matter percentage for spices, defect count for coffee. Ask how it is measured and whether a pre-shipment sample is included.

Commercial considerations

Minimum orders are usually driven by container economics rather than the producer’s capacity. One 20ft container is a common practical floor.
Prices move with harvest season and with international commodity indices. A quote given in March may not hold in September.
Ask whether the price assumes FOB or CIF before comparing two suppliers — the difference is often larger than the difference between them.
Sample costs and courier charges are normally paid by the buyer, and are worth paying before a first order.

Packaging

Coffee: 60 kg jute bags are conventional; GrainPro or vacuum liners for longer transit or higher-value lots.
Cocoa: jute sacks, sometimes with liners depending on destination humidity.
Spices: PP woven bags or vacuum packs. Ground spices need moisture barriers.
Confirm palletisation and container stuffing method — loose-loaded and palletised cargo unload very differently at the destination.

Certifications buyers may request

Organic certification, where the buyer’s market requires it
Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade for specialty coffee and cocoa
HACCP or ISO 22000 for processed products
Halal certification, depending on destination market
Phytosanitary certificate, usually arranged per shipment rather than held permanently

Certifications listed above are ones buyers commonly ask for. They are not a claim that any particular supplier holds them. We record what each supplier actually holds, and say plainly what is missing.

Sourcing context

What affects your timeline.

Harvest timing varies by island and altitude. Asking for a specific origin outside its season means either old crop or a longer wait.
Many producers are cooperatives or collectors rather than single estates. That is normal and not a problem — but it should be stated, not discovered later.
Stated monthly capacity is often a peak figure. Confirm the month you actually need.

Common export routes

Where this category usually ships.

HS codes are the classification your customs broker already uses. Labelling everything this way means nothing is lost between the quote and the shipping documents.

0901.11Coffee, not roastedIDN → DEU
1801.00Cocoa beansIDN → NLD
0910.11Ginger, freshIDN → SAU

How suppliers are checked

You see the level, not just a badge.

Documents checked

Business registration (NIB), tax ID (NPWP), and any certifications collected and cross-checked for consistency with the company identity given to us.

Capability confirmed

Production capacity, lead times, packaging, and export experience confirmed in a direct call with the person responsible.

Seen in person

Production site visited in person, with dated photos and notes filed on record. Given only when the visit actually happened.

See a sample verification report

Before you ask

Include these and quotes come back faster.

Each missing item is one more round of email before a supplier can put a number on paper.

Start a sourcing request

01Product, variety, and grade
02Processing method and maximum moisture content
03Volume per shipment and how often it repeats
04Destination country and port
05Certifications your market requires
06Whether you need a sample before committing

Questions buyers ask

About sourcing this category.

Can I get a sample before ordering?: Almost always. Sample quantity and courier cost are agreed directly with the supplier. For coffee and cocoa we recommend cupping or testing before any first order, regardless of verification level.
How far ahead should I plan for a specific harvest?: For a specific origin and crop year, several months. If your timeline is tight, say so early — it changes which suppliers can realistically quote.
Do suppliers handle export documentation?: Some do, some have never shipped beyond Asia. We tell you which is which, because a supplier who needs documentation support is not a bad supplier — it just changes who does the work.

Other categories

Sourcing more than one thing?

Put everything in a single request. It is easier for you, and it lets us look for suppliers who can cover more than one line.

New to sourcing from Indonesia? Start with how buying through Nusvero works.