Moong, or green gram (Vigna radiata), is traded in three main forms: whole green moong, split moong with the skin on (chilka), and dehusked yellow moong dal. Within each form, grades depend on size, colour, shine, cleanliness and, for sprouting buyers, germination rate.
There is no single national grading table that all exporters use. Grades are mostly agreed between buyer and seller, so your specification decides what you get.
The crop
Moong is a short-season crop. The main crop is grown in the monsoon and harvested roughly September to October, and a summer crop is grown with irrigation in some states. Rajasthan is the largest producer, with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat also important.
Rain at harvest can cause discolouration and sprouting in the pod, which lowers grade. Crop size and quality can change sharply between years, so confirm the crop and season for each lot.
Common grades and descriptions
- Bold or medium or small: whole moong graded by seed size, usually by sieving.
- Shiny or dull: shiny green seed is preferred for retail. Some lots are polished to improve shine.
- Sprouting grade: clean, uniform, new crop seed with a high germination rate, for bean sprout growers.
- Machine cleaned or sortex: cleaned seed, or cleaned and then colour sorted to remove discoloured and foreign seeds. See sortex cleaning for pulses and millets.
- Moong chilka: split with skin, graded by uniformity and broken pieces.
- Moong dal mogar or yellow: fully dehusked split, graded by colour, husk remaining and broken pieces.
Points to specify
- Form and size grade, with the sieve size if you need it.
- Colour and shine, and whether polishing is allowed.
- Germination rate for sprouting grade, with test method and number of days. Figures are agreed per contract.
- Moisture: low enough for safe storage. Very dry seed may sprout less well.
- Foreign matter, other pulses, damaged, weevilled and immature seed.
- Hard seed: seeds that do not absorb water when soaked, which matters for cooking and sprouting.
- Pesticide residues and microbiology, especially for sprouting seed.
Sprouting moong needs extra care
Bean sprouts are eaten raw or lightly cooked, so seed for sprouting carries a higher food safety risk. Many importing countries have specific rules for sprouting seed. Ask your food authority what applies, and test for pathogens such as Salmonella as well as germination.
Choose new crop seed and avoid heavy fumigation or storage conditions that reduce germination. Agree a germination test on the actual lot before shipment. General pulse checks are in the main quality checks for pulses.
How we help
We find moong processors that grade, sort and, if needed, supply sprouting seed. We test samples at NABL-accredited labs for residues and microbiology, check germination where required and supervise loading. Ask for a free sourcing review.