SESAME SEED SCENARIO IN WORLD

Sesame seed export and import scenario:

Sesame seed has ever been known for the various uses it offers. The seeds of the sesame plant have been used as a flavouring agent since the ancient times. Sesame seeds are rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibers and other minerals and vitamins. In many of the cuisines over the world especially in Middle Eastern countries, it plays a quite significant role as many of the dishes are totally based on its crunchy flavour. Sesame seeds offer a high level of oil i.e. around 55% of its total mass. The oil derived is needed for a number of purposes, some of the domestic purposes are cooking purposes, preparation of salads, and the other industrial applications may be listed as in the production of margarine, soaps, pharmaceuticals, paints and lubricants. The residue left after the crushing of the seeds to obtain oil is known as the oil seed cake and that forms part of the feed for livestock.

The total global production of sesame seed sums up to around 30 lakh tons annually, China being the highest seed producer. The production of the seeds is somewhat concentrated in the Asian and African continents and the topmost five countries indulged in the production of sesame accounts for the majority of share in the total production. The production as well as consumption of sesame seeds has been in the up trend since the last decade and both the figures are rising steadily.

World trade figures in sesame seeds are 5 to 6 lakh tons annually. As already mentioned that the production of this condiment is concentrated in a few countries, it has resulted in for the concentrated exports also. Only the major producing countries dominate sesame seed exports and the major exporters are listed below

• India
• China
• Mexico

A large number of countries import sesame seeds to fulfil their domestic consumption demand. Japan leads the list with an importing figure of around 165000 tons of seeds every year followed by Egypt with around 86000 tons. The list of the major sesame importing nations is

• Japan
• Egypt
• South Korea
• United States of America
• Netherlands
• China
• Syria
• Saudi Arabia
• Greece
• Israel
• Mexico
• Germany

Sesame is produced in around 65 countries of the world. The production of sesame seeds in the world is dominated by a few countries that lie in the African and Asian continents. All the major producers of the seed produce a total of around 30 lakh tons annually. China produces the maximum out of them all sharing approximately 25% share in the total world’s production. The 5 topmost producing countries contribute to around 70% of the total production done in the world. The production level has grown steadily over the last decade and is still rising the same way. The list depicting the most important sesame producing countries with their production figures in the year 2005 is mentioned below

• China (725470 metric tons)
• India (680000 metric tons)
• Myanmar (550000 metric tons)
• Sudan (300000 metric tons)
• Uganda (110000 metric tons)
• Nigeria (75000 metric tons)
• Pakistan (68000 metric tons)
• Ethiopia (65000 metric tons)
• Bangladesh (50000 metric tons)
• Central African Republic (42800 metric tons)
• Thailand (42000 metric tons)
• Tanzania (41000 metric tons)
• Egypt (37000 metric tons)
• Guatemala (35049 metric tons)
• Chad (35000 metric tons)
• Paraguay (33300 metric tons)
• Iran (28000 metric tons)
• Senegal (24130 metric tons)
• Turkey (23000 metric tons)
• Mexico (22593 metric tons)

Some time ago, India was enjoying the topmost position in the list but china’s improvement in the production and India’s slow steady growth allowed china to take over the lead from India.