There is no standard MOQ for herbs and botanicals. Common raw herbs are often sold in part or full container loads. Less common herbs may be sold by the pallet or a few hundred kg. Extracts are usually sold in tens of kg, packed in drums.
The real floor is set by the supplier's batch size, their packing and testing costs, and your own freight and testing costs per kg.
What drives the minimum
- Batch size: cutting, milling and steam sterilisation lines run in batches. Very small orders still use a full setup.
- Testing: each lot needs its own lab tests. On a small lot, testing becomes a large share of the cost.
- Raw material buying: processors buy herbs from markets or farmers in lots. Some will not open a fresh lot for a small order.
- Custom specs: a special cut size, mesh or sterilised grade usually needs a larger order.
- Packing: private label or small retail packs need minimum print runs for bags and labels.
Rough patterns by type
These are general patterns, not fixed rules. Confirm with each supplier for your herb, grade and pack.
- Common bulk herbs such as moringa, senna or ashwagandha powder: often offered in part or full container loads.
- Cut and sift herbs for tea: often by the tonne or more, depending on cut size and sterilisation.
- Specialty or wild herbs: often smaller lots, limited by what is available that season.
- Standardised extracts: often from one drum, commonly 25 kg, though some makers set higher minimums.
Containers and light cargo
Freight is another reason to buy more at once. Shipping, documents and inspection cost about the same for a small lot as a large one, so the cost per kg falls as volume rises.
Herbs are light and bulky. A 20 ft container often fills by volume well before its weight limit, sometimes at well under 10 tonnes for leaves. That makes a full container fewer tonnes than you might expect. Our article on how much fits in a container explains why.
If one herb will not fill a container, you can often combine several herbs from the same supplier or region. Our guide to buying less than a full container covers groupage and mixed loads.
Getting a smaller first order
- Start with approval samples, then a trial lot before the main order.
- Accept the supplier's standard grade and pack for the first order.
- Combine herbs into one container to spread freight and documents.
- Agree a yearly volume and call off in smaller shipments.
- Expect a higher price per kg on small lots, and judge it against the risk you save.
How we help
We find suppliers whose batch size suits your volume, and can group several herbs into one container from processors we have audited. Each lot is still tested and inspected before loading. Ask for a free sourcing review.