Fresh produce buyer tools: season windows and quote checklist

Price per stated unit and currency

Per kg, per carton or per container are not comparable until converted on the same basis by you.

Incoterms® rule with a named place

FOB Callao and DAP Rotterdam include different freight, insurance and risk.

Quote validity date

Fresh-produce quotes often expire quickly as the season moves.

Payment terms and milestones

Advance, documents or open account terms change the real cost and risk.

Volume per shipment and programme length

A price for one trial pallet may not hold for a weekly programme.

Who pays treatment, inspection and document fees

These are often left out of the headline price.

Variety or cultivar named

Avoids substitution with a different variety.

Class, size or calibre with tolerances

Two quotes for “Class I” can still differ in size mix.

Maturity or quality parameters and how they are measured

e.g. dry matter for avocados, Brix or firmness for fruit.

Expected shelf life on arrival

Needed to plan ripening, retail programmes and transit mode.

Pack type, net weight and units per carton

Packaging differences change the price per kg.

Pallet configuration and cartons per container

Determines landed cost per unit.

Label content, language and private-label artwork

Labels must meet your market's rules and your customer's specification.

Packaging materials accepted at destination

Ask what applies to wooden pallets and packaging in your market.

Lot code linking cartons to packhouse and production site

Needed for any claim, withdrawal or recall.

Packhouse and production sites named (registered where the destination requires it)

Some markets only accept fruit from approved or listed sites.

Withdrawal and recall procedure

Who acts, how fast and with what records.

Farm assurance certificate (e.g. GLOBALG.A.P.) with number and validity you can check

Ask for the certificate number and check it with the issuer, not only a copy.

Packhouse food-safety certificate where your customer requires it (e.g. BRCGS, IFS)

Retail buyers often require it.

Residue test report: laboratory, date and lot, against destination limits

A report for a different lot or market does not cover your shipment.

Phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's plant-protection authority, where required

Requirements depend on the product and destination.

Certificate of origin where a tariff preference is claimed

Without it, the preferential duty may not apply.

Organic certificate and the import documents the destination requires, if organic is quoted

An organic claim without these cannot be sold as organic.

Transport mode and estimated departure and arrival

Sea and air change cost, shelf life and timing.

Temperature setpoint, atmosphere and recorder data shared

Needed to assess quality claims on arrival.

Transit time compared with shelf life

Long routes can leave too little selling time.

Who insures the cargo and where risk passes

Follows the Incoterms® rule; check it is stated.

Arrival inspection standard and who inspects

Agree it before shipping, not after a problem.

Claim window and evidence required

e.g. photos, temperature log and inspection report within a set time.

What happens to rejected or re-sorted fruit and who pays

Often the largest hidden cost.