Check a fruit supplier on five things before a first order: what it actually packs, whether it will take a trial quantity, how it states count size, how it handles a claim, and whether its arithmetic adds up. The last is the fastest test, because a supplier who cannot tell you how many cartons go on a pallet and how many pallets go in the container is not the one loading your fruit.
This page is written from the part-load side of the trade, where a buyer opens with a half pallet rather than a full reefer. Peivana is an Egyptian exporter, not a neutral reviewer, and the checks below are the ones we would expect a careful importer to run on us.
Table of Contents
The five checks that decide a first order
| Check | Ask for this | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| Pack format | Exact net weight and cartons per pallet | Around 5 kg, depends on the order |
| Trial quantity | A price for one half pallet | Full containers only |
| Count size | A count number and the gram range it covers | Large, medium and small |
| Claims | Written procedure, evidence needed, time limit | We always sort it out |
| Certification | Certificate numbers and expiry dates | We are fully certified |
Certificate numbers are checkable. A GLOBALG.A.P registration can be looked up against the database rather than taken on trust, and an expiry date inside your loading window is a real problem that a scanned certificate will not show you. What certification does and does not cover on small orders is set out in our note on GLOBALG.A.P and BRC on small Egyptian orders.
Count size: what a 5 kg carton actually holds
| Count per 5 kg carton | Weight per fruit |
|---|---|
| 6 | 775 to 900 g |
| 7 | 670 to 775 g |
| 8 | 590 to 670 g |
| 9 | 530 to 590 g |
| 10 | 460 to 530 g |
| 12 | 385 to 460 g |
| 14 | 335 to 385 g |
| 16 | 295 to 335 g |
The count is the number of fruit in the carton, so a higher count means smaller fruit. Count 8 is 590 to 670 g a piece; count 16 is 295 to 335 g. Order by count, never by the words large or medium, because those words mean whatever the packhouse needs them to mean on the day. Note also that counts 11, 18 and 20 are not packed, so a quote offering count 11 has been written by someone working from a different origin’s size grid.
Varieties: what Egypt grows, and what it does not
Egyptian mango exports run on varieties such as Keitt, Kent and Naomi. Egyptian citrus runs on Valencia, Navel and Murcott. Egypt does not grow Alphonso or Ataulfo: Alphonso is Indian and Ataulfo is Mexican, and both are worth knowing about only as a point of comparison when a customer asks why Egyptian fruit eats differently.
That distinction is a useful filter. If an offer arrives quoting Egyptian Alphonso, the person writing it is either repeating a phrase from a search result or is not the one packing the fruit. Ask which orchard region the fruit comes from and which week the variety starts. A supplier who packs it can answer both without checking.
Will a fruit supplier take a trial order?
Many will not, and that is the single largest filter on the market. The workable trial unit is a half pallet: 100 cartons and 500 kg net in the 5 kg carton, or 90 cartons and 450 kg net in the 5 kg box. A full pallet is 200 cartons and 1,000 kg net, or 180 cartons and 900 kg net.
The cost of a trial is not proportional to its size. Phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, bill of lading, clearance and inspection are billed per shipment, so halving the cartons doubles what each one carries of that block. Ask the supplier to show it separately, then decide between 100 and 200 cartons with the real number in front of you rather than the fruit price alone. Product-by-product floors are set out in minimum order quantities from Egypt.
Testing a supplier’s arithmetic in one line
Ask what a full 40 ft reefer of mango weighs. There are only two right answers. In the 5 kg carton it is 4,160 cartons and 20,800 kg net; in the 5 kg box it is 3,744 cartons and 18,720 kg net. Any proforma for a full mango reefer should therefore land between 18.7 and 20.8 tonnes net.
A figure above 20.8 tonnes means the pack format has been mixed up or the weight is gross rather than net. A figure below 18.7 tonnes means the container is not full, which may be perfectly fine but should be stated rather than discovered. A 40 ft reefer holds 20 standard pallets plus one euro pallet, with a maximum payload of 25 tonnes, so mango runs out of pallet positions before it runs out of weight.
The weight question sorts enquiries faster than any reference check. If someone quotes a full mango reefer at 24 tonnes net, they have never watched one loaded.
Mohamed Barakat, Export Manager, Peivana
Common questions about choosing a fruit supplier
What should I check before ordering from a new fruit supplier?
Five things: the exact pack format and cartons per pallet, whether a half-pallet trial is possible, whether count size is quoted as a number with a gram range, the written claims procedure, and current certificate numbers with expiry dates rather than a general claim of being certified.
What does count 8 mean on a 5 kg carton of mango?
Eight fruit in the carton, each weighing 590 to 670 g. A higher count means smaller fruit: count 6 is 775 to 900 g and count 16 is 295 to 335 g. Counts 11, 18 and 20 are not packed.
Does Egypt grow Alphonso or Ataulfo mangoes?
No. Alphonso is an Indian variety and Ataulfo is Mexican. Egyptian export varieties include Keitt, Kent and Naomi. An offer of Egyptian Alphonso is a sign the seller is not the party packing the fruit.
Will a fruit supplier take a trial order?
Some will. The workable trial unit is a half pallet, which is 100 cartons and 500 kg net in the 5 kg carton or 90 cartons and 450 kg net in the 5 kg box. Suppliers geared only to full containers will usually decline.
How much mango fits in a 40 ft reefer?
4,160 cartons and 20,800 kg net in the 5 kg carton, or 3,744 cartons and 18,720 kg net in the 5 kg box. A full mango reefer should land between 18.7 and 20.8 tonnes net; anything outside that range needs explaining.
What pack sizes do Egyptian fruit suppliers use?
Peivana packs a 5 kg carton at 200 per pallet and a 5 kg box at 180 per pallet, with a 4.5 kg carton available on request. There is no 4 kg or 6 kg carton in the range, so a quote built on one of those cannot be compared per kilo directly.
Placing a first order with an Egyptian fruit supplier
Send eight lines and you will normally have a price the same working day: product and variety, count size, pack format, quantity in cartons or pallets, destination port, Incoterm, loading week and any label requirement. The format is set out in our note on sending an RFQ to an Egyptian supplier. If a half pallet is where you want to start, say so in the first line. WhatsApp +20 10 9911 1918.
Written by the Peivana export desk. Peivana is an Egyptian fresh produce exporter. Last updated 26 August 2026.