Blackrice
Black rice is a pigmented glutinous or non-glutinous rice (Oryza sativa) whose bran layer carries a high concentration of anthocyanin, giving the husked kernel a deep purple-black colour that lightens to a dark purple on cooking. It is grown from traditional landraces rather than modern high-yield varieties, and is milled lightly so the pigmented bran layer is retained rather than polished away. It is sold whole grain for direct cooking, or as flour, flakes and bran extract for bakery, nutraceutical and colourant use. The pigment and a sticky, aromatic texture on cooking are what separate it commercially from ordinary white or brown rice.
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Listed blackrice markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Price guarantee on blackrice
If a move in the blackrice price would hurt you, fix the price now. We agree it today for the months you name, and it holds whatever the market does in between.
| Buying | You use or resell blackrice and need to know your cost. We fix your purchase price for the quantity and months you name. |
|---|---|
| Selling | You grow, produce or hold blackrice and need to know your revenue. We fix your sale price ahead of production or shipment. |
| Settlement | Against delivery of the blackrice. |
A price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing. Ask the desk for a fixed price.
Caps and floors on blackrice
A fixed price binds buyer and seller. A cap or a floor is a guaranteed price on one side only. You pay a fee up front for it, and it is a right, not an obligation: you use it only if the market moves against you.
| Cap | For buyers. A guaranteed maximum price for blackrice. If the market is above the cap when you buy, you pay the cap. If it is below, you buy at the market price and let the cap lapse. |
|---|---|
| Floor | For sellers. A guaranteed minimum price for blackrice. If the market is below the floor when you sell, you receive the floor. If it is above, you sell at the market price and let the floor lapse. |
| Fee | Agreed and paid up front. It is the whole cost of the cap or floor, and it is not refunded if the cap or floor goes unused. |
A cap or a floor is in place only once a trader confirms it in writing. Ask the desk for a cap or a floor.
Grades
Black rice has no international grading standard. It is graded on physical purity and broken-grain percentage under domestic milling norms, on moisture content, and where a buyer requires it, on a laboratory anthocyanin assay of the bran layer.
Purity and milling grade
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Broken kernelsMaximum percentage by mass | Kernels shorter than a stated fraction of average length, separated on a grading sieve and weighed. |
| Foreign matterMaximum percentage by mass | Stones, husk, chaff, straw and non-rice seed, separated by sieve and hand-pick and weighed. |
| Damaged and discoloured kernelsMaximum percentage by mass | Heat-damaged, insect-bored or sprouted kernels, separated and weighed. |
| Admixture of other varietiesMaximum percentage by mass | Non-pigmented or off-type rice present in the lot, separated by visual inspection under standard lighting. |
Moisture
1 grade
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MoistureMaximum percentage by mass | Determined by the ISO 712 reference oven-drying method or an equivalent calibrated moisture meter. |
Anthocyanin and pigmentation assay
1 grade
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Total anthocyanin contentMilligrams cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent per 100 grams, dry basis | Determined by the pH-differential spectrophotometric method or by HPLC, contracted where a buyer requires a pigment specification rather than a visual description. |
Analytical and certification requirements
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram | Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, tested against destination market limits. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram | Cadmium, lead and arsenic, tested against destination market limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram | Tested against destination market maximum residue limits. |
| Geographical indicationCertificate of authorized use from the issuing GI registry | Named on the contract with the registry and certificate number, where a GI-tagged provenance is claimed. |
| OrganicCertificate under the destination market scheme | EU-approved certifier, NOP, JAS or a stated equivalence arrangement, named on the contract with the certifier and certificate number. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| India | South Asia | Origin |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| China | East Asia | Origin |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin |
| United Kingdom | Europe | Destination |
| Netherlands | Europe | Destination |
| Germany | Europe | Destination |
| France | Europe | Destination |
| United States | North America | Destination |
| Canada | North America | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the crop is taken at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, milling, grading and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Dec, arrival Jan to AprManipur (Chak-Hao) and other northeastern states. Single kharif-season crop, harvested November to December, with FPO/state-agency stock reported available through to May. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Common questions
What grades of blackrice does SIP Global trade?
We quote 11 published grades of blackrice, including Broken kernels - Maximum percentage by mass, Foreign matter - Maximum percentage by mass, Damaged and discoloured kernels - Maximum percentage by mass, Admixture of other varieties - Maximum percentage by mass, Moisture - Maximum percentage by mass and Total anthocyanin content - Milligrams cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalent per 100 grams, dry basis. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is blackrice graded?
Black rice has no international grading standard. It is graded on physical purity and broken-grain percentage under domestic milling norms, on moisture content, and where a buyer requires it, on a laboratory anthocyanin assay of the bran layer. Grading runs on 4 systems: Purity and milling grade, Moisture, Anthocyanin and pigmentation assay and Analytical and certification requirements.
Where does SIP Global trade blackrice?
We trade blackrice in India, Thailand, China, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany and France and 2 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is blackrice harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are India: harvest nov to dec, arrival jan to apr. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
Can I fix a blackrice price ahead?
Yes. SIP Global fixes a blackrice price ahead for buyers and for sellers, as a price guarantee. Send the grade, the quantity and the months you need covered. We settle against delivery, and a price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing.
How do I get a price for blackrice?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 5 listed blackrice markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We buy and sell the physical cargo, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISO (opens in new tab)International Organization for Standardization
- Codex Alimentarius (opens in new tab)FAO and WHO food standards
- UN Comtrade (opens in new tab)Official international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade Map (opens in new tab)Bilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTAT (opens in new tab)FAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities