1. Fresh produce fails in hours, not weeks
Dry spices and bagged grain forgive a documentation delay. Fresh vegetables and tropical fruit do not. The produce hub already states that availability follows harvest calendars and that cold-chain and ventilation are aligned with carrier and destination rules. This guide is the how behind that sentence.
Commodity selection and seasonality stay on sourcing fresh vegetables and exotic fruits. This spoke is logistics and temperature control. Enterprise volume and Incoterms sit on high-volume agricultural supply chains and the supply-chain hub.
2. The chain, in order
A working export cold chain is a sequence. Break any link and the carton grade collapses.
- Harvest window — pick to the maturity the destination will accept, not “whatever is in the field today.”
- Field heat removal — pre-cool before the fruit or vegetable sits in a warm packhouse queue.
- Grade and pack — size, bruising limits, and carton specs the buyer already named. The produce desk sources seasonal vegetables and exotic fruits against those limits.
- Pulp or air temperature check — recorded at stuffing, not estimated.
- Reefer or air — ocean reefer for longer shelf-life SKUs and volume; air for short-life or high-value lots. Ventilation vs tight-temperature set-points is a commodity decision, confirmed with the carrier. We do not publish a single Celsius number for “all Indian vegetables.”
- In-transit monitoring — data logger when the contract requires it.
- Destination break-bulk — importer cold store ready before the container is gated out.
If the buyer cannot name a set-point, the desk will propose one for the named SKU and write it on the booking — not in a blog table that pretends every crop is the same.
3. Documents that travel with the carton
The produce guide already lists the three documents buyers should expect:
- Phytosanitary certificate from the authorised NPPO, certifying freedom from regulated pests.
- Global G.A.P. (or equivalent farm scheme) when the retailer or importer requires farm-level evidence.
- Traceability batch codes on every carton back to packhouse and harvest date.
Add commercial invoice, packing list, and any destination-specific treatment certificate. Plant quarantine context: IPPC. Market access orientation: APEDA fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. What belongs on the RFQ
| Item | Example of useful detail |
|---|---|
| SKU and variety | Not “mixed vegetables” |
| Size / count / colour | Carton-facing grade |
| Weekly volume | Harvest planning |
| Pack | Carton type, net weight, palletisation |
| Mode | Air vs ocean reefer |
| Set-point / humidity | Named, or “propose for this SKU” |
| Destination port / airport | Clears routing |
| Incoterm | FOB, CFR, or CIF |
Shelf life is a function of SKU + cold chain + destination dwell. We will not promise a transit day-count on this page that we have not run for that commodity.
5. Cluster placement
- Hub: Fresh produce export
- Sub-pillar: Vegetables and exotic fruits guide
- Process: How we work
- Dry-cargo enterprise model: Supply chain (same company, different temperature class)
Book produce with a written cold-chain line
Intact Global Exports coordinates seasonal vegetables and tropical fruit with packing standards and carrier set-points confirmed per SKU. Send variety, volume, and destination — we return harvest calendar options and a logistics path.
Sources & References
- APEDA fresh fruits & vegetables — export standards and market access
- IPPC — phytosanitary framework
- Related: Produce category · Produce sourcing guide · Supply-chain hub