Sudanese sesame maintains its high quality despite world competition
14 April, 2013By: Ishraqa Abbas
Khartoum (Sudanow Info.) – Sudanese sesame crop is distinguished for its high quality compared to the sesame produced by other sesame-producing countries worldwide thanks to the suitable environment and climate, said Dr. Ghazi Hamid Badawe, head of field crops department at the faculty of agriculture, University of Khartoum.
Speaking to Sudanow, Dr. Badawe said light soil, bright light and high temperature constitute a good environment for sesame production, matter which is available in Sudan more than the sesame-producing countries which lie north of latitude 30, noting that the Sudanese sesame seeds are characterized by more oil rate and less acid.
He added that Sudan is classified fourth and sometimes third of the sesame-producing countries in the world after India and China according to the sesame world trade statistics, pointing out that sesame is one of the most important vegetal and oil seeds after Durra where its importance emanates from the fact that it is a food crop, an important crude industrial material and a source of animal fodder not to mention its importance as a cash crop.
Sudan comes second among nine African and Arab sesame-exporting countries where it is producing 80% of the sesame cultivated in the Arab region and 40% of that cultivated in Africa, while it consumes 60% of the annually produced sesame and sesame oil at the local level.
In the meantime, Dr. Abdullatif Al-Ujaimy, former undersecretary of the ministry of agriculture, told Sudanow that what distinguishes the Sudanese sesame is the fact that it is biologically produced without the use of any chemical fertilizers, matter which he said reduces the possibility of its infection by any crop diseases or pests.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world sesame cultivated area in the major producing countries amounted to around 5.1 million hectares during 2005-2009, 1.5 million of them in China, 1.4 in Sudan, 227.5 in Ethiopia, 1.7 in India, 1.3 in Myanmar. 261.8 in Nigeria, 280.4 in Uganda and 123000 in Tanzania.
The international production of sesame seeds amounted to 1.1 million kgs in China, 797. 9 kgs in Ethiopia, 373.7 kgs in India, 535.5 kgs in Myanmar, 432.2 kgs in Nigeria, 222.6 kgs in Sudan, 603.3 kgs in Uganda, 401.5 kgs in Tanzania and 500.6 kgs in other countries, according to FAO statistics for the same past years.
Non-use of fertilizers and pesticides in the cultivation of the Sudanese sesame would enable the country to expand this crop’s cultivation and make Sudan the number one sesame producer in the world, said Al-Ujaimy, noting that this matter would increase sesame’s contribution to the economic and social growth in Sudan, namely if relevant scientific research is provided and appropriate technical packages are used in its cultivation.
The sesame cultivation in Sudan was very good at all levels of agricultural operations in 2012 where the rain falling rates were very high at all the states of the country and particularly similar to the excellent rain fall rates in 1979 whereas, according to the federal ministry of agriculture, the average rain fall rate in Geddarif State registered 755 mms, while its distribution during the five months (May to October), which are important for sesame production, was good in addition to the good preparation for the cultivation operation and the level of river floods which have positively affected on the sesam
Sesame is a rain-fed crop that is cultivated at the most of its cultivation areas in Sudan including South and North Kordofanm Geddarif, Blue Nile, Sinnar, Darfur and White Nile States, where this traditional rain-fed sector produces traditional sesame types such as Hariry, which ripens early, Jabarouk, which its ripening period is medium and Jabali which takes longer to ripe.
As for the types developed by the agricultural research authority, they include the white sesame, Hurriya and Kinana which are cultivated at the technical cultivation areas.
Wajdy Merghani, chairman of the exporters chamber at the Sudanese businessmen association, speaking to Sudanow, said that the chain of sesame’s external trade begins with its flow from the production areas to the major crops markets in Geddarif, Damazin, Sinnar, Kosti, El Obeid, El Fasher, Nyala and El-Genina towns, adding that the sesame would then be purified at Port-Sudan or Khartoum, packed in 50 kgs packs and then shipped in containers prior to be exported.
He further explained that before the ships leave Port-Sudan harbor, the banking documents are prepared, noting that the selling process is done through two means, cash or by documents.
However, he said the major problem here is that the transactions are made in U.S Dollar or Euros by which the market is affected as the exchange prices are not stable.
The sesame revenues have kept on rising where they amounted to around 141.7 million U.S Dollars in 2006, 131.3 in 2007, 159 in 2008, 195 in 2009, 204.2 in 2010 and 223.2 in 2011 according to the annual report of the central bank of Sudan for 2011, while sesame’s contribution to the non-oil exports during the above mention years amounted to 24.9%, 28.5%, 27.5%, 27%, 12% and 9.4% respectively.
The Sudanese sesame crop is exported throughout the year, but in January the sesame exports reach the peak where they registered 46.3 metric tons in 2011 followed by February. However, they gradually decrease until they reach the lowest rate in November where they usually register about 7.1 metric tons as it was the case in 2011.
According to the annual report of the central bank of Sudan on external trade for 2011, the major importers of the Sudanese sesame include China which imported about 22% of its total imports against 15.8% for Saudi Arabia, 15.7% for Egypt, 11.9% for Syria, 6.9% for Lebanon, 4% for Jordan and then Japan, Turkey and other countries including Spain, UK, Kuwait, a number of African and Asian countries and Mexico.
Nevertheless, the sesame production in Sudan is suffering from some barriers including the high production cost, lack of scientific research, scarce labor, and lack of funding and the high risk of speculation on it, which means removal of these barriers would resolve the issues of the sesame production in Sudan, said Merghani.
During the agricultural season 2012-2013, 4.1 million feddans have been cultivated by sesame in both the rain-fed and irrigation sectors and the total production of the crop is expected to amount to more than 385000 metric tons, with a production rate of 133 kgs per feddan, according to the Sudanese ministry of agriculture.
Despite the fact that the sesame production in 2012 was low, yet it was considered the highest compared to the few past years where in 2010 the production reached 248000 tons and 318000 metric tons in 2009.
The Public Ledger, a London-based magazine, specialized in reviewing news and the prices of the agricultural commodities, expected the sesame prices to continue rising due to the sever deficit in the supplies from India during February 2013 and the expected delay in the new production season in China.
The deficit in supply by India and China caused Sudan to be the resort for the international buyers including the Indians and Chinese themselves where the international sesame prices have jumped 500 dollars more for the metric ton and the prices of the Sudanese white sesame jumped from 1.450 dollars to 1.950 for the metric ton and the red sesame to 1.800 dollars.
Last March, the prices of the Sudanese sesame registered 2.135 dollars which is still a record.
END
Photo of the Week
Dinder – SUNA – SUDANOW As part of international cooperation programs in wildlife conservation and the implementation of international conventions governing wildlife protection in Sudan, the Federal Dinder National Park authorities received a Nile crocodile on the banks of the Dinder River this morning. The crocodile was transported from Jordan to Sudan as part of jo...
More-
30 August, 2026
Stories from the Heart of the Battlefield From a University of Khartoum Professor to a Vegetable Seller in Cairo
Cairo (Sudanow) In one of Cairo’s neighborhoods, where the stories of passersby intersect with the details of everyday life, the story began with a quiet-faced Sudanese man standing behind a small vegetable stall. He carefully arranged tomatoes and greens, selling them with a smile. Few of those passing by knew that the man they addressed so simply had spent years of his life in lecture halls and scientific research labor...
Contact Us
Address: Sudan News Agency (SUNA) Building, Jamhoria Street, Khartoum - Sudan
Mobile:+249 909220011 / +249 912307547