Where Sesame Is Grown
West Bengal grows a large summer crop. Gujarat (Saurashtra and Kutch), Rajasthan (Pali, Nagaur, Jodhpur), Madhya Pradesh (Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur) and Uttar Pradesh (Bundelkhand) grow kharif sesame. Black sesame comes mainly from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Gujarat.
How Sesame Is Processed and Exported
Sesame is a short crop of about three months. After harvest the seed is cleaned and sorted; much of the export trade is in hulled sesame, where the outer skin is removed mechanically or chemically to give pure white seed for bakery buns, confectionery, tahini and halwa. Exporters must manage salmonella and pesticide residues to meet strict buyer standards. Hulling and sortex plants are concentrated around Gujarat (Unjha, Rajkot, Gondal, Kutch) and Kolkata.
- Unjha Market Yard, GujaratSeed spices and sesame tradeAboutExplore
- Rajkot and Amreli, GujaratSaurashtra sesameAboutExplore
- Kolkata (Posta Bazar)West Bengal sesame tradeAboutExplore
Gingelly Oil Makers
- VVV & Sons Edible Oils LtdVirudhunagar · Idhayam gingelly oilAboutExplore
- Kaleesuwari Refinery Pvt LtdChennai · Gold Winner and Kaleesuwari oilsAboutExplore
- Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA)Mumbai · edible oil and oilmeal industry body; publishes import and export dataAboutExplore
- Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC)Export promotion for groundnut, sesame and other oilseedsAboutExplore
- National Mission on Edible Oils – OilseedsGovernment mission to raise oilseed output and cut importsAboutExplore
Quality and Grading
Natural sesame is graded by purity (99/1, 98/2 and so on), colour and free fatty acid content; hulled sesame by whiteness and purity (often 99.95 per cent). Export lots are tested for salmonella and pesticide residues, and must be steam-sterilised for many buyers.
Price Drivers
Indian sesame prices follow the size of the Gujarat and West Bengal crops, competition from African suppliers such as Sudan and Nigeria, and demand from China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East. Rain damage at harvest causes discoloured seed and lower prices.
Kharif
Sown June–July, harvested September–October.Summer
Sown February–March, harvested May–June (Gujarat, West Bengal).Export peak
October to March.Sesame by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
Processed Products
Related: Groundnut · Mustard · Soybean · Sesame · Sunflower · Castor · Cottonseed · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help
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