Quintal (q) - Unit Information & Conversion

Quick Answer

1 quintal (q) = 100 kilograms = 220.462 pounds

The metric quintal is exactly 100 kg, commonly used for trading grain, coffee, sugar, and agricultural products in India, Brazil, France, and many former European colonies.

Quick Comparison Table

Unit	Equivalent to 1 Quintal (100 kg)
Kilograms	100 kg (exact definition)
Metric Tons	0.1 tonnes (t)
Pounds	220.462 lbs
Stones	15.747 st (British)
Hundredweight	1.968 cwt (British, 112 lb)
Hundredweight	2.205 cwt (US, 100 lb)
Grain Bags	2 bags (50 kg standard)
Ounces	3,527.4 oz

Note: The metric quintal (100 kg) is the modern standard, but historical variants ranged from 40-120 kg depending on region.

Definition

The quintal (symbol: q) is a unit of mass equal to 100 kilograms (220.462 pounds) in the metric system. The term derives from Arabic qinṭār (قنطار), itself from Latin centenarius ("containing a hundred"), reflecting its fundamental definition as "a hundred units" of mass.

The Metric Quintal (100 kg)

The modern metric quintal is precisely defined as:

• 100 kilograms (exact)
• 0.1 metric tons (tonnes)
• 100,000 grams
• 220.462 pounds (avoirdupois)

This standardized definition emerged from France's adoption of the metric system (1795-1799), where the quintal was redefined as exactly 100 kg, replacing the pre-revolutionary quintal of 48.95 kg (100 livres).

Historical Quintal Variants

Before metrication, numerous regional quintal definitions existed:

• French quintal (pre-1795): 48.95 kg (100 livres poids de marc)
• Spanish quintal (quintal castellano): 46.01 kg (100 libras)
• Portuguese quintal: 58.75 kg (4 arrobas)
• Egyptian qinṭār: 44.93 kg (100 raṭls)
• British quintal: 112 pounds (50.80 kg, equivalent to 1 hundredweight)
• Venetian cantaro: 47.66 kg
• Dutch centenaar: 49.4-50.2 kg (varied by city)
• Mexican quintal: 46.01 kg (Spanish colonial)

These variations made international trade complex, contributing to the 19th-20th century push toward metric standardization.

The Quintal in Agricultural Trade

The quintal's strength lies in its practical scale for bulk commodity trade:

• 1 quintal = 2 standard grain bags (50 kg each)
• 10 quintals = 1 metric ton (clean decimal conversion)
• Human-manageable scale: 100 kg is within the range two workers can handle
• Intermediate unit: Bridges small-scale sacks and large-scale tonnage

In commodity markets, prices are often quoted per quintal for crops like wheat, rice, coffee, sugar, and cotton.

History

The quintal's 1,300-year journey from Islamic trade networks to modern agricultural markets reflects the evolution of international commerce and measurement standardization.

Arabic Origins (7th-9th Centuries)

The quintal traces to the Arabic qinṭār (قنطار), borrowed from Latin centenarius ("hundred-weight") or Greek kentenarion (κεντηνάριον). During the Islamic Golden Age (750-1258 CE), Arab merchants dominated Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean trade routes, establishing the qinṭār as a standard for trading spices, grain, textiles, and metals.

The qinṭār typically equaled 100 raṭls (رطل), with the raṭl varying by region from 380-550 grams, making historical qinṭārs range from 38-55 kg. Baghdad's Abbasid Caliphate standardized the qinṭār for taxation and trade regulation around 100 raṭls of approximately 400-450 grams each.

Medieval European Adoption (11th-15th Centuries)

Crusader contact, Venetian trade monopolies, and Reconquista Spain brought Islamic measurement units into European commerce. The quintal entered Romance languages:

• Italian: quintale
• Spanish: quintal
• Portuguese: quintal
• French: quintal
• Catalan: quintar

Each region adapted the concept to their local pound (livre, libra, lira), creating dozens of quintal variants. Venice's cantaro (47.66 kg) dominated Mediterranean spice trade, while Iberian quintals (46-59 kg) became colonial standards in the Americas.

Colonial Spread (16th-18th Centuries)

Portuguese and Spanish colonial expansion exported quintal standards to:

• Latin America: Spanish quintal (46 kg) for silver, cacao, sugar
• Brazil: Portuguese quintal (58.75 kg) for sugar, coffee, gold
• Philippines: Spanish quintal for rice, hemp, sugar (until 1906)
• Goa and Macau: Portuguese quintal in Indian and Chinese trade

These colonial quintals persisted long after independence, with Brazil using the Portuguese quintal until adopting the metric version in the mid-20th century.

French Metric Quintal (1795-1799)

The French Revolution's measurement reform created the metric system, redefining the quintal as exactly 100 kilograms on December 10, 1799 (19 Frimaire, Year VIII).

This represented a radical simplification:

• Old French quintal: 48.95 kg (100 livres poids de marc)
• New metric quintal: 100 kg (100,000 grams)
• Decimal elegance: 10 quintals = 1 ton; 1 quintal = 100 kg = 100,000 g

The metric quintal provided a convenient intermediate unit between the kilogram and the tonne (1,000 kg), ideal for agricultural commerce.

International Adoption (19th-20th Centuries)

The Treaty of the Metre (May 20, 1875) established the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and promoted metric standardization. The 100 kg quintal spread through:

European Metrication:

• Italy (1861 unification): Adopted metric quintal for grain markets
• Germany (1872): Zentner (50 kg) preferred over quintal
• Spain (1852, enforced 1880): Spanish quintal → metric quintal
• Portugal (1852, enforced 1866): Portuguese quintal → metric quintal

Colonial and Post-Colonial Adoption:

• India (1947): British hundredweight replaced by metric quintal
• Pakistan (1947): Adopted metric quintal for wheat, rice, cotton
• Bangladesh (1971): Inherited Pakistani metric quintal
• Francophone Africa (1960s): French colonies adopted metric quintal
• Brazil (mid-20th century): Portuguese quintal → metric quintal

Agricultural Commodity Exchanges:

• Chicago Board of Trade (1848-present): US hundredweight (100 lb, 45.36 kg)
• Brazilian coffee markets (early 20th century): Adopted 60 kg bags (0.6 quintals)
• Indian wheat mandis (markets): Quintals standard by 1950s-1960s

Modern Usage (20th-21st Centuries)

Today, the metric quintal remains active in:

• South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh use quintals for grain prices
• Latin America: Brazil for coffee/sugar, Argentina for grain
• France and Francophone regions: Agricultural statistics, farm sales
• Mediterranean: Parts of Italy, Spain, Portugal in rural markets
• Africa: Former French colonies (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali)

Anglo-American markets largely abandoned the quintal for:

• Metric ton (1,000 kg) in international trade
• US hundredweight (100 lb = 45.36 kg) in American markets
• British hundredweight (112 lb = 50.80 kg) until full metrication (1990s)

Real-World Examples

Microscale (Single Items)

• Average adult human: 0.6-0.9 quintals (60-90 kg)
• Large dog (German Shepherd): ~0.4 quintals (40 kg)
• Standard grain sack: 0.5 quintals (50 kg, common worldwide)
• Cement bag: 0.5 quintals (50 kg standard)
• Two cases of wine (24 bottles): ~0.36 quintals (36 kg)

Human Scale (Daily Activities)

• Small farmer's wheat harvest: 30-50 quintals per hectare (3-5 tonnes)
• Pickup truck bed capacity: ~10 quintals (1,000 kg)
• Sugarcane ton: 10 quintals (standard Indian measure)
• Coffee farm yield: 15-25 quintals per hectare (Brazil)
• Rice paddy yield: 40-60 quintals per hectare (India)

Community Scale

• Small village grain storage: 500-1,000 quintals (50-100 tonnes)
• Agricultural cooperative warehouse: 5,000-10,000 quintals (500-1,000 tonnes)
• Grain elevator: 50,000-100,000 quintals (5,000-10,000 tonnes)
• Coffee plantation annual production: 1,000-5,000 quintals (100-500 tonnes)

Industrial Scale

• Large grain terminal: 1,000,000+ quintals (100,000+ tonnes)
• Sugar refinery daily processing: 10,000-20,000 quintals (1,000-2,000 tonnes)
• Major port grain exports (annual): 50,000,000+ quintals (5,000,000+ tonnes)
• National wheat production (India, 2023): 1,097,000,000 quintals (109.7 million tonnes)

Global Scale

• World wheat production (2023): ~7,900,000,000 quintals (790 million tonnes)
• World rice production (2023): ~5,200,000,000 quintals (520 million tonnes)
• World coffee production (2023): ~170,000,000 quintals (17 million tonnes)

Common Uses

Agricultural Commodity Trading

The quintal is the standard unit for pricing and trading bulk agricultural products in many markets:

Indian Agricultural Markets (Mandis):

• Wheat prices quoted in rupees per quintal (₹/quintal)
• Rice, cotton, sugarcane traded by quintal
• Government Minimum Support Price (MSP) set per quintal
• Example: Wheat MSP 2023-24 = ₹2,125 per quintal (~$25.50/quintal)

Brazilian Coffee Market:

• Coffee traded in 60 kg bags (0.6 quintals) or full quintals
• Brazilian Real per quintal (@) pricing
• São Paulo commodity exchange quotes

French Agricultural Statistics:

• Crop yields reported in quintaux per hectare (q/ha)
• Wheat: 65-75 q/ha typical yield
• Corn: 80-100 q/ha modern varieties
• Vineyards measured by hectoliters, grain by quintals

Farm Production Records

Farmers track yields, sales, and inventory in quintals where traditional:

• Harvest tallies: "We harvested 450 quintals of wheat from 10 hectares"
• Storage management: "Warehouse capacity 2,000 quintals"
• Sales records: "Sold 120 quintals at ₹2,000/quintal = ₹240,000"
• Seed calculations: "Need 8 quintals of seed for 40 hectares" (20 kg/hectare)

Government Agricultural Policy

Governments use quintals for agricultural planning:

• India's Food Corporation: Procures millions of quintals for public distribution
• Minimum Support Prices: Guaranteed prices per quintal
• Crop insurance: Coverage based on quintals per hectare yields
• Export quotas: "Allow export of 5 million quintals of wheat"
• Buffer stock targets: "Maintain 100 million quintal strategic reserve"

Food Processing Industry

Processing plants measure intake and output in quintals:

• Sugar mills: Sugarcane crushed measured in quintals, sugar recovery percentage calculated
• Rice mills: Paddy intake in quintals, milled rice output (60-70% recovery)
• Flour mills: Wheat processed per day (e.g., 500 quintals/day capacity)
• Coffee roasters: Green coffee beans purchased by quintal

Commodity Futures and Contracts

Agricultural futures markets use quintals in some regions:

• Indian commodity exchanges (MCX, NCDEX): Contracts in quintals
• European grain markets: Tonnes preferred, but quintals used in conversion
• Contract specifications: "Wheat futures: 10 quintals per contract"

Historical and Cultural Contexts

The quintal appears in:

• Historical trade records: Colonial shipping manifests, customs documents
• Literature: Portuguese, Spanish, French novels mentioning quintal prices
• Traditional farming: Multi-generational farms in Mediterranean Europe
• Legal disputes: Land productivity measured in quintals per hectare for valuation

Conversion Guide

Basic Conversions

From Quintals to Other Units:

• 1 quintal = 100 kilograms (exact)
• 1 quintal = 0.1 metric tons (tonnes)
• 1 quintal = 100,000 grams
• 1 quintal = 220.462 pounds
• 1 quintal = 3,527.4 ounces
• 1 quintal = 15.747 stones (British)
• 1 quintal = 1.968 hundredweight (British, 112 lb)
• 1 quintal = 2.205 hundredweight (US, 100 lb)

To Quintals from Other Units:

• 1 kilogram = 0.01 quintals
• 1 metric ton = 10 quintals
• 1 pound = 0.00454 quintals
• 1 US hundredweight (100 lb) = 0.4536 quintals
• 1 British hundredweight (112 lb) = 0.5080 quintals

Agricultural Conversion Examples

Indian Farm Yield:

• 50 quintals per hectare = 5,000 kg/ha = 5 tonnes/ha
• 5 tonnes/ha × 2.47 acres/hectare = 2.02 tonnes per acre
• 2.02 tonnes/acre = 4,454 pounds per acre

Brazilian Coffee:

• 25 quintals per hectare = 2,500 kg/ha
• 2,500 kg ÷ 60 kg/bag = 41.67 bags per hectare
• 41.67 bags/ha = 16.86 bags per acre (coffee standard)

French Wheat:

• 70 quintals per hectare = 7,000 kg/ha = 7 tonnes/ha
• 7 tonnes/ha = 15,432 pounds per acre
• 15,432 lbs/acre ÷ 60 lbs/bushel = 257 bushels per acre

Pricing Conversions

Indian Wheat (₹2,125 per quintal):

• ₹2,125/quintal ÷ 100 kg = ₹21.25 per kg
• ₹2,125/quintal = ₹212,500 per metric ton
• ₹2,125/quintal ÷ 83 (exchange rate) = ~$25.60 per quintal
• $25.60/quintal = $256 per metric ton = $11.61 per hundredweight (US)

Brazilian Coffee (R$800 per quintal):

• R$800/quintal ÷ 100 kg = R$8 per kg
• R$800/quintal = R$8,000 per metric ton
• R$800/60 kg bag = R$480 per bag (60 kg standard)

Historical Quintal Conversions

Pre-metric to Metric:

• Spanish quintal (46 kg) = 0.46 metric quintals
• Portuguese quintal (58.75 kg) = 0.5875 metric quintals
• French quintal (48.95 kg) = 0.4895 metric quintals
• British quintal (112 lb = 50.80 kg) = 0.508 metric quintals

Common Conversion Mistakes

1. Confusing Metric Quintal with Historical Variants

Wrong: Assuming all quintals equal 100 kg when reading historical documents

• Historical Spanish quintal = 46 kg, not 100 kg
• Historical Portuguese quintal = 58.75 kg, not 100 kg
• British "quintal" (hundredweight) = 50.8 kg, not 100 kg

Right: Check the date and region:

• Post-1900 metric contexts: 100 kg
• Colonial Latin America: 46-59 kg (Spanish/Portuguese)
• British Commonwealth: 50.8 kg (112 lb hundredweight)

2. Mixing Quintal with US Hundredweight

Wrong: Treating 1 quintal = 1 US hundredweight

• 1 metric quintal = 100 kg = 220.462 lb
• 1 US hundredweight = 100 lb = 45.36 kg
• Error: 2.205× difference (quintal is more than double)

Right:

• 1 quintal = 2.205 US hundredweight
• To convert quintal prices to cwt: multiply by 2.205

3. Incorrect Yield Unit Conversions

Wrong: Converting quintals per hectare directly to pounds per acre

• Simply multiplying by 2.47 (acres/hectare) ignores unit change
• 50 q/ha ≠ 123.5 lb/acre (off by factor of ~100)

Right: Convert mass first, then area:

• 50 q/ha = 5,000 kg/ha = 11,023 lb/ha
• 11,023 lb/ha ÷ 2.47 acres/ha = 4,463 lb/acre

4. Forgetting Decimal Placement

Wrong: 450 quintals = 450 kg (missing two zeros)

• 450 quintals = 45,000 kg = 45 metric tons
• Error: Factor of 100

Right: Always multiply by 100:

• Quintals × 100 = kilograms
• Quintals × 0.1 = metric tons
• Check reasonableness: 450 quintals should be ~45 cars' weight

5. Coffee Bag vs. Quintal Confusion

Wrong: Treating standard coffee bags as 1 quintal

• Standard coffee bag = 60 kg = 0.6 quintals (not 1 quintal)
• Brazilian coffee standard ≠ full quintal

Right:

• 1 coffee bag (60 kg) = 0.6 quintals
• 1 quintal = 1.667 coffee bags (60 kg size)
• Always specify "60 kg bags" vs. "quintals" in coffee trade