Most grains and pulses from India ship in 25 kg or 50 kg woven polypropylene (PP) bags. Jute bags are used where a buyer or market prefers them, and container liner bags or jumbo bags are used for large bulk lots going to mills and processors.
The right choice depends on how the goods are handled at your end, how long they travel, and whether they will be repacked. Packing is also a cost line, so compare quotes on the same pack.
The main options
- PP woven bags: strong, light and cheap. Usually 25 kg or 50 kg. Can be plain, printed, laminated or fitted with an inner liner for moisture protection.
- Jute bags: natural fibre that breathes and is easy to stack. Some markets prefer jute for pulses or rice, or for its look in retail. Jute can shed fibres into the product, so food-grade jute matters.
- Paper bags with a liner: used for some milled products such as flour, less often for whole grain.
- Jumbo bags (FIBCs): woven bags holding around a tonne. Good for mills with forklifts and discharge points.
- Container liner bags: a large liner fitted inside a 20 ft or 40 ft container, filled with loose grain through a hatch. Used for single-grade bulk loads.
- Consumer packs: smaller retail packs in pouches, often inside master cartons, for private label buyers.
Choosing between them
If your goods go into a mill, a cleaning plant or a repacking line, bulk or jumbo bags can save handling. If they go to distributors or wholesalers who sell by the bag, 25 kg or 50 kg bags make sense. Many importers find 25 kg easier for manual handling.
For long voyages or humid routes, consider PP bags with an inner liner, or extra protection in the container. See what desiccants and container liners do.
Your market may also have rules on packaging materials in contact with food. Check those with your food authority, especially for printed or recycled bags.
Bag quality varies a lot. Thin PP bags can tear when stacked high or lifted by hook at the port, and loose stitching lets product spill. Ask for the bag weight and fabric strength the supplier uses, and keep a sample bag from the approved lot as a reference.
What to specify
If you want your own brand on the bags, see whether Indian suppliers can pack in your brand.
- Bag type, material and net weight per bag.
- Whether a food-grade inner liner is required.
- New bags only, never reused or second-hand.
- Printing or marking: product, grade, crop year, lot number, net and gross weight, origin, production and best-before dates.
- Stitching or sealing method.
- Palletised or loose loading, and how bags are stacked.
How we help
We confirm bag type, weight and marking against your spec, check weights on a sample of bags and watch the loading. Get in touch for a free sourcing review to choose packing that suits your handling and route.