A mill can only quote accurately against a complete requirement. Most of the back-and-forth after a first enquiry comes from missing details: the process, the finish, the packing or the destination. This checklist covers what to send in your first message, why each item matters and what happens after you send it. Send all of it and you will usually get availability and commercial terms in one reply.
Key takeaways
- Send nine things: variety, process, finish, specification, quantity, packing, destination and delivery basis, schedule, and documents.
- A written specification, or an approved sample, is what the order is checked against.
- Packing and freight can move the landed cost as much as the rice itself, so include them from the start.
- Nothing on a website or in a first reply is an offer. Terms are confirmed in writing before production is scheduled.
The enquiry checklist
Copy this into an email or WhatsApp message and fill in each line. If something is not decided yet, write “to be discussed” rather than leaving it out.
BULK RICE ENQUIRY Company and contact person: Phone or WhatsApp, and email: 1. Variety: (for example Miniket, Swarna, Ratna, or other) 2. Process: parboiled or raw 3. Finish: colour sorted (Sortex) or not; silky or non-silky polish 4. Specification: max brokens %, max moisture %, colour range, other limits, or "as approved sample" 5. Quantity: tonnes, quintals or containers; one-off or recurring (per month) 6. Packing: bag size, bag material, marking (SONIK-marked, plain, or your own artwork) 7. Destination and delivery basis: city, state or port; ex-mill, delivered, FCA, FOB, CFR or CIF 8. Schedule: when the first lot is needed, and the lifting or shipment window 9. Documents and inspection: invoices, certificates, inspection agency, laboratory tests
1–3. Variety, process and finish
Variety. Name the variety, for example Miniket, Jhanti Miniket, Swarna or Ratna, or describe the grain you need if you are open to suggestions. The product range lists what is milled at Ghentugachhi, and varieties not shown can be discussed against a confirmed specification.
Process. Say whether you want parboiled or raw rice. They behave differently in milling, cooking and storage; our comparison of parboiled and raw rice explains the trade-offs. A buyer who names a variety without a process is usually asked to confirm rather than have it assumed.
Finish. State whether the rice should be colour sorted (Sortex) and whether you want a silky or non-silky polish. These change the milling route and the price, so they belong in the enquiry, not at the confirmation stage. See Sortex, grading and polishing.
4. Specification
If your own customer has given you a written specification, attach it. The quotation is made against that document, and it becomes the reference for any inspection. Otherwise, these are the parameters most bulk specifications state:
| Parameter | What it means | How to state it |
|---|---|---|
| Broken grains | Pieces shorter than three-quarters of a whole grain, under the Codex definition. | Maximum % by weight, for example “brokens max 5%”. |
| Moisture | Water content at packing. Codex sets 15% as the maximum; FAO gives about 14% as generally safe for tropical storage. | Maximum %, for example “moisture max 14%”. |
| Colour | For parboiled rice, from cream to yellow depending on processing. | A colour description or an approved sample. |
| Polish and sorting | Silky or non-silky; colour sorted or not. | As separate lines, not as one “quality” word. |
| Other defects | Discoloured, damaged or chalky grains, foreign matter. | Maximum % for each, if your market sets limits. |
5. Quantity
Give the quantity in tonnes, quintals or containers, and say whether this is a one-off lot or a recurring requirement, for example a fixed quantity each month. Recurring volume is planned against the milling schedule and is priced on that basis, so it helps to know from the start.
6. Packing
Give the bag size, the bag material and the marking: SONIK-marked bags, plain bags or bags printed with your own artwork. Private-label packing needs your print file and time to procure printed bags, so mention it in the first message. Our guide to rice packing requirements covers the options and how artwork approval works.
7. Destination and delivery basis
Freight is a large share of the landed cost of rice, so a quotation without a destination is not a complete quotation. Give the city and state, or the port, and the delivery basis you want. SONIK can discuss ex-mill, delivered, FCA, FOB, CFR and CIF terms. The export terms are defined by the International Chamber of Commerce in Incoterms® 2020:
| Basis | Where the seller’s delivery ends | Main cost carried by the seller |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-mill | At the mill; you arrange collection. | Rice, packed and ready for loading. |
| Delivered | At your named godown or address in India. | Transport to that address. |
| FCA (Free Carrier) | When the goods are handed to your nominated carrier at the named place. | Export clearance and delivery to that carrier. |
| FOB (Free On Board) | When the goods are on board the vessel at the named port of shipment. | Export clearance and loading on board. |
| CFR (Cost and Freight) | Risk passes on board at the port of shipment. | Sea freight to the named destination port. |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) | Risk passes on board at the port of shipment. | Sea freight plus minimum cargo insurance to the destination port. |
ICC notes that FOB, CFR and CIF are designed for goods loaded on board a vessel. When bagged rice is stuffed into containers and handed over at an inland depot or terminal, FCA (or its counterparts CPT and CIP) usually fits better.
8. Schedule
Say when you need the first lot and, for recurring orders, how often after that. Availability follows the crop and the milling schedule, and printed bags, inspections and export documents each add their own lead time.
9. Documents and inspection
List any document or check the order needs: pre-shipment inspection by a named agency, a specific laboratory test, or, for export, certificates such as phytosanitary, fumigation and origin. Some have their own lead times and some depend on the destination; see documents required for rice export. SONIK’s registrations, including its FSSAI licence, IEC and APEDA registration, are listed on the Quality & Certifications page.
What happens after you send it
- Requirement: we read your variety, specification, quantity, packing and destination.
- Feasibility: we confirm whether it can be met, and on what basis.
- Terms: the commercial basis, documents and inspection are discussed.
- Sample: reviewed individually where requested.
- Confirmation: terms are recorded in writing before production is scheduled.
- Documentation: invoices and, for export, shipping papers are prepared against the confirmed order.
Nothing on this website is an offer or a price quotation; the written confirmation for your order is what governs. The Dealer & Bulk Enquiry form follows this checklist, or you can contact the mill directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum order quantity?
SONIK does not publish a fixed minimum. Tell us the quantity and whether it is one-off or recurring, and we will confirm what is feasible.
Do you publish prices?
No. Prices depend on the variety, process, finish, packing, quantity, destination and timing, so they are quoted against a specific requirement.
Can I approve a sample first?
Yes, samples are reviewed individually where requested. An approved sample is a practical reference for colour and finish alongside the written specification.
Sources
- International Chamber of Commerce. Incoterms® rules.
- Codex Alimentarius. Standard for Rice (CXS 198-1995).
- FAO (1993). Rice in human nutrition, chapter 5, on storage moisture.
