Sesame prices are likely to head north but they may be subject to change based on the monsoon and arrivals from other key producing States, according to the TN-IAM Project funded Price Forecasting Scheme of the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
The price forecasting team analysed the past 12 year prices for the oilseed that prevailed in Sivagiri Regulated Market of Erode district. Farmgate price of good quality of sesame during harvest (April) would be ₹170-175 per kg. Hence, the farmers are advised to take appropriate sowing decision.
Reduced area under rabi crop, supply shortage due to heavy rainfall in the season and increased crop demand will keep the price in upward side in the coming months.
Lower acreage
The Crop Forecast Coordination Centre (CFCC) estimates a decline in the kharif cultivation from 13.44 lakh hectares in 2022-23 to 12.43 lakh hectares in 2023-24. Additionally, the rabi season is expected to decrease from 0.27 lakh hectares in 2022-23 to 0.16 lakh hectares in 2023-24.
Sesame is sown in Tamil Nadu during April-May and December-January. It is cultivated in a small area as a summer crop under irrigated conditions and widely preferred for its qualities of high drought tolerance and the highest oil content. Two distinct types (white and black) of sesame seeds are popular though a few other varieties varying from red to brown are also available.
India ranks second globally in sesame production, trailing only Sudan. It also holds the top position as the largest exporter of sesame, primarily shipping to the United States, Vietnam, and Russia. Sesame cultivation occurs during both the kharif and rabi seasons in India.
Key sesame-producing States in India include West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, sesame production reached approximately 2.79 lakh tonnes from 4.7 lakh hectares in 2021-22, with a productivity of 589 kg/ha. Major contributing districts, accounting for 66 per cent of the area and 65 per cent of the State’s sesame production, include Villupuram, Thanjavur, Erode, Karur, Cuddalore, Salem, Thiruvannamalai and Thiruvallur.