Technical reference
Buy FCV Tobacco by grade: stalk positions (Primings, Lugs, Cutters, Leaf, Tips), colour codes (Lemon to Mahogany), nicotine ranges, and chemical parameters. Wholesale FCV tobacco supplier. MOQ 1 container (20 MT).
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Pakistan FCV Tobacco is graded using a system based on two primary factors: stalk position (where on the plant the leaf was harvested) and colour classification (the colour of the cured leaf). These two factors together determine the commercial grade of each lot.
Stalk position determines the physical and chemical characteristics of the leaf — body, nicotine level, texture, and size. Colour classification reflects curing quality and leaf maturity. Together they define the grade code used in commercial transactions.
FCV Tobacco is harvested from bottom to top. Each stalk position produces leaf with distinct characteristics. Buyers specify the stalk position(s) required for their blend.
Lowest leaves on the plant. Harvested first. Thin lamina, low nicotine, light body. Used in light blend applications.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Lemon to Lemon-Orange |
| Nicotine | Low (0.8–1.5%) |
| Body | Light |
| Texture | Thin, silky |
Second tier from the bottom. Slightly heavier than primings. Good colour development. Widely used in filler blends.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Lemon-Orange to Orange |
| Nicotine | Low–moderate (1.2–2.0%) |
| Body | Light–medium |
| Texture | Smooth |
Mid-stalk leaves. Good balance of body, colour, and nicotine. Among the most commercially valued positions.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Orange to Variegated |
| Nicotine | Moderate (2.0–2.8%) |
| Body | Medium |
| Texture | Smooth to silky |
Upper-mid stalk. Heavier body than cutters. Good combustibility. Used in standard blend positions.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Orange to Variegated |
| Nicotine | Moderate–high (2.5–3.2%) |
| Body | Medium–full |
| Texture | Smooth |
Upper-mid stalk leaves. Full body, higher nicotine. Used in blend positions requiring strength and colour.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Orange to Red |
| Nicotine | Moderate–high (2.8–3.5%) |
| Body | Full |
| Texture | Smooth to slightly rough |
Topmost leaves. Highest nicotine, darkest colour, heaviest body. Used in specific high-nicotine blend positions.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | Red to Mahogany |
| Nicotine | High (3.0–4.0%+) |
| Body | Full–heavy |
| Texture | Rough |
Eight colour classes are used to classify Pakistan FCV Tobacco. Colour reflects curing quality, leaf maturity, and stalk position. Buyers specify the colour class(es) required.
Bright yellow. Highest-quality colour. Associated with primings and lugs from well-managed crops.
Yellow-orange. Common in lugs and lower cutters. Good colour development.
Bright orange. Mid-stalk standard colour. Most common commercial colour class.
Mixed orange and red tones. Typical of mid-upper stalk positions.
Deep red-orange. Upper stalk. Higher nicotine associated.
Dark reddish-brown. Tips and sub-mountain leaf. Highest nicotine range.
Green tones indicating incomplete curing or early harvest. Lower commercial value.
Dark or mixed colour. By-product grades and lower-quality lots.
Chemical parameters are confirmed by laboratory analysis per lot. Buyer-specified limits and testing protocols are accommodated.
| Parameter | Typical Range / Standard | Test Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture | 12–14% | Oven drying / NIR | Buyer-specified target range; confirmed per lot |
| Nicotine | Grade-dependent (0.8–4.0%) | CORESTA Method No. 35 / NIR | Lot-specific; confirmed by lab analysis |
| Reducing Sugars | Grade-dependent | CORESTA Method No. 37 / NIR | Lot-specific; confirmed by lab analysis |
| Chloride | < 0.5% (buyer-specified) | Potentiometric titration | Buyer-specified maximum; confirmed per lot |
| Total Alkaloids | Lot-specific | CORESTA Method No. 35 | Available on request |
| Pesticide Residues | Buyer-specified limits | GC-MS / LC-MS/MS | Buyer-specified protocol; third-party lab |
| Heavy Metals | Buyer-specified limits | ICP-MS | Available on request; third-party lab |
| Foreign Matter | Nil | Visual inspection | Confirmed by pre-shipment inspection |
| Non-Tobacco Material | Nil | Visual inspection | Confirmed by pre-shipment inspection |
Representative samples are drawn from each lot prior to shipment and submitted to an accredited independent laboratory. Analysis covers moisture, nicotine, reducing sugars, and chloride as standard. Additional parameters — pesticide residues, heavy metals, total alkaloids — are available on request or as specified by the buyer.
Analysis reports are issued per lot and provided to the buyer as part of the shipping documentation package. Buyers may specify their preferred laboratory or testing protocol.
Near-infrared (NIR) analysis is used for rapid in-process moisture and chemistry screening. Final values are confirmed by wet chemistry methods per CORESTA standard methods.
Every lot is documented from crop year and growing district through to container loading. Full documentation package provided with each shipment.
Every lot is identified by crop year and growing district (Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Buner, or Malakand). Plains and sub-mountain origin is recorded.
Grade code records stalk position and colour classification. Each C48 carton is labelled with grade, colour, crop year, and lot reference number.
Processing form (whole leaf, unstemmed, hand-stemmed, machine-stemmed, threshed lamina) is recorded per lot. Processing date and facility are documented.
Representative samples drawn from each lot and submitted to accredited laboratory. Analysis report issued per lot and provided to buyer with shipping documents.
Independent inspection company (buyer-specified or mutually agreed) inspects grade, colour, moisture, weight, and packaging prior to container loading. Inspection certificate issued.
Phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading issued per shipment. Pesticide residue analysis available on request.
Submit your stalk position, colour, and chemical parameter requirements. We will advise on available lots and achievable specifications from the current crop year.
Pick a stalk position and a colour class, or type a code such as C-O, to read what that grade is and whether the two typically occur together in one lot.
Mid-stalk leaves. Good balance of body, colour, and nicotine. Among the most commercially valued positions.
| Position | L | LO | O | V | R | M | G | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Primings | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◌ | ◌ |
| L Lugs | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ◌ | ◌ |
| C Cutters | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ◌ | ◌ |
| X Smoking Leaf | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ◌ | ◌ |
| F Leaf | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ◌ | ◌ |
| T Tips | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ◌ | ◌ |
Lowest leaves on the plant. Harvested first. Thin lamina, low nicotine, light body. Used in light blend applications.
Second tier from the bottom. Slightly heavier than primings. Good colour development. Widely used in filler blends.
Mid-stalk leaves. Good balance of body, colour, and nicotine. Among the most commercially valued positions.
Upper-mid stalk. Heavier body than cutters. Good combustibility. Used in standard blend positions.
Upper-mid stalk leaves. Full body, higher nicotine. Used in blend positions requiring strength and colour.
Topmost leaves. Highest nicotine, darkest colour, heaviest body. Used in specific high-nicotine blend positions.
Bright yellow. Highest-quality colour. Associated with primings and lugs from well-managed crops.
Yellow-orange. Common in lugs and lower cutters. Good colour development.
Bright orange. Mid-stalk standard colour. Most common commercial colour class.
Mixed orange and red tones. Typical of mid-upper stalk positions.
Deep red-orange. Upper stalk. Higher nicotine associated.
Dark reddish-brown. Tips and sub-mountain leaf. Highest nicotine range.
Green tones indicating incomplete curing or early harvest. Lower commercial value.
Dark or mixed colour. By-product grades and lower-quality lots.
FCV tobacco is graded on two factors: stalk position, where on the plant the leaf grew, and colour class, the colour of the cured leaf. Together they form the grade code used in commercial transactions. Stalk position drives body, nicotine, texture and leaf size; colour reflects ripeness at harvest and how well the cure went. Chemistry for each lot is then confirmed by laboratory analysis rather than assumed from the grade.
From the bottom of the plant to the top: primings (P), lugs (L), cutters (C), smoking leaf (X), leaf (F) and tips (T). Primings and lugs are thin, light-bodied and low in nicotine; cutters and smoking leaf are the balanced mid-stalk positions and among the most commercially valued; leaf and tips are full to heavy-bodied with the highest nicotine and darkest colour. Harvest runs in that order over several passes.
The eight colour classes run from lemon (L), the brightest yellow, through lemon-orange (LO), orange (O), the most common commercial class, variegated (V) with mixed orange and red tones, red (R) and mahogany (M), the darkest, plus two off-grade classes: greenish (G), indicating incomplete curing or early harvest, and dark or mixed (D), used for by-product and lower-quality lots. Colour correlates with stalk position and nicotine, so lemon is typical of primings and lugs while mahogany is typical of tips.
Choose by the role the leaf plays in the blend. Light filler and low-nicotine positions come from primings and lugs in lemon to orange colours; the balanced core of most blends comes from cutters and smoking leaf in orange to variegated; strength, body and darker colour come from leaf and tips in red to mahogany. Use the grade decoder on this page to check whether a position and colour combination is typical, then state the combination, quantity and chemistry targets in your quotation request.
Indicative means a published typical range for a grade, drawn from crop and grading experience, not a measurement of the lot you would receive. Every number on this site carries a provenance label: indicative, lot-specific, laboratory-confirmed or buyer-specified. Only the laboratory-confirmed values for a specific lot, stated on its certificate of analysis, govern a transaction. Treat any supplier's unlabelled figures with caution and ask which values are confirmed per lot.
Yes, subject to lot availability in the current crop year. Because leaf is primed and graded by position and colour, lots are sold by grade rather than as mixed leaf, and a buyer can specify, for example, cutters in orange only. Some combinations rarely occur together in one lot, such as tips in lemon, and the grade decoder flags those. State the positions and colours you need and the supplier will confirm what is available.
Both systems describe the same physical facts, position on the stalk and colour, but with different codes. The Pakistan system used here combines a stalk-position letter (P, L, C, X, F, T) with a colour class (L, LO, O, V, R, M, G, D). USDA flue-cured grade marks combine a group letter for position, a quality number and a colour letter, for example B3F. When comparing offers from different origins, translate each grade back to its stalk position, colour and laboratory-confirmed chemistry rather than comparing codes directly.
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Buyer feedback
Very Professional Company, for FCV tobacco a must considering company with a huge variety of Tobacco Leaves to buy for our brand of cigerettes.
Reply from FCV TobaccoThank you, Elena. Variety is exactly what we build our grade list around, so it is good to hear it made the selection for your brand easier. We look forward to the next lot.
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A very good company to work with. They are professional, reliable, and always deliver on time. Working with them has been a great experience, and I truly appreciate their commitment and service.
Reply from FCV TobaccoThank you, Shehzad. Delivering on the agreed window is something we take seriously, and we appreciate you saying so. Always a pleasure working with your team.
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Professional Company - Highly Recommended for FCV Tobacco in bulk. We are dealing with them for a long time.
Reply from FCV TobaccoThank you, Mehak. Long-standing relationships like yours are the best recommendation we could ask for. We appreciate your continued trust in our FCV supply.
Read on Google →كانت تجربتي مع خدمة العملاء ممتازة. التواصل كان سريعًا ومحترفًا، وتم التعامل مع الطلب والاستفسارات بوضوح واهتمام، ووصل كل شيء بشكل منظم كما توقعت.
Translated from Arabic: My experience with the customer service was excellent. Communication was fast and professional, the order and enquiries were handled clearly and attentively, and everything arrived well organised, as I expected.
Reply from FCV TobaccoThank you very much for your kind review. We appreciate it.
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Tell us the grade, quantity and destination port. Verified commercial buyers only; minimum one container (20 MT), FOB to any port, 50% advance and 50% on FOB.