Sesame seed production may fall 27%

The Indian Oilseed and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC) has estimated about 27 per cent lower sesame seed production in India for the kharif season. According to the council, sesame seed production is likely to be around 271,000 tonnes, as against 369,000 tonnes in the country this year.

However, traders maintained a negative view on the production estimate. According to trader sources, India’s kharif sesame seed production would not be more than 220,000 tonnes.

The estimates are the outcome of a survey conducted by the council in key sesame growing states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It was seen that about 1.4 million hectares of area was covered under sesame this year. Poor monsoon in sesame producing states and drought conditions in parts of Gujarat, have hampered sesame seed production prospects. These have led to a decline in sesame seed production to the tune of around 27 per cent this year.

“The rain in September has damaged the crop and quality of sesame seed in Gujarat,” the survey noted. According to IOPEPC estimates, Rajasthan will see the highest sesame production at around 87,000 tonnes followed by Madhya Pradesh at 80,030 tonnes, Uttar Pradesh at 76,205 tonnes and Gujarat at about 27,511 tonnes this year.

Meanwhile, traders noted that sesame seed production in Gujarat would not be more than 22,000-25,000 tonnes as most of the crop has been damaged during the month of August and the late rains did not help sesame seeds to survive. On the export prospects this year, Amreli-based Manoj Sonpal of Sonpal Agri Export Limited, said, “This year India is likely to export around 150,000 tonnes sesame seed as against 250,000 tonnes.”

“Since the monsoon has remained weak this kharif season, it is feared that summer sesame sowing will also decline. Most of the farmers in Saurashtra region lack water facility, while a proper irrigation system has not reached remote areas in the region,” he said.

According to traders’ estimates, summer sesame seed production will not exceed 10,000 tonnes in Gujarat. Last year, it was 40,000 tonnes. In the past four days, sesame seed prices have gained by Rs 1,000 per quintal as South Korea announced a tender for 6,000 tonnes of sesame. Most such tenders are awarded to India. Sesame seed prices have reached Rs 11,000-11,100 per quintal in the last four days and is expected to increase further.

“This year, sesame seed price will see an upward trend as the crop size is small and farmers may hold the stock to get better returns,” Sonpal added.