In the vibrant heart of a Nigerian community, SAO Agro is actively transforming the landscape of agriculture. Here, through expert advisory and smart practices like advanced soil management, we are developing a 100-hectare sesame plantation, a tangible demonstration of how strategic intervention can unlock unparalleled potential in Africa’s agricultural sector. This ambitious project exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional farming and establishing new benchmarks for productivity and profitability.
Sesame is one of the world’s oldest oilseed crops, drought-tolerant, high-value, and a vital cash crop for small agribusinesses in most developing countries. At SAO Agro, we understand its profound potential. Although immensely valuable for its nutrient-rich qualities and versatility, this often-overlooked seed is quietly powering billion-dollar markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Globally, there is a rising demand for the seed, with a market projection of $9.6 billion by 2034, driven by an annual growth rate of 2.3%. These growth opportunities range from increased awareness of the seeds’ health benefits, reflected in the sesame seed extraction and food and beverage market, presenting an opportunity for a boost in the economic and market value of sesame seeds.
Africa’s sesame seed market is expected to reach 2.8 million tonnes and 4.6 billion in value by 2035. In 2023, Africa’s market volume stood at 551.0 thousand metric tons, while in 2024, African exporters shipped 1.3 metric tons of raw sesame (up 6% from 2023). Countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, and Burkina Faso are the top producers in Africa. In 2024, Nigeria was the largest exporter with a volume of 353,000 tonnes, 28% of Africa’s exports, and Sudan was second with a volume of 317,000 tonnes, 25% of Africa’s exports.
At SAO Agro, we recognize that despite Africa being a top producer and exporter of sesame seed, with the right climate, land, and labor, there remains a pervasive challenge: an underutilization of its full potential and significant infrastructural deficits. Yields remain modest, with the continent’s average production per unit of land at 466 kg/ha in 2024, far below the yields achieved by major Asian producers.
This low productivity isn’t merely a technical issue; it often stems from a fundamental perception of sesame as a low-maintenance crop—an afterthought rather than a meticulously managed agribusiness. This nonchalance leads to a critical knowledge gap, particularly in modern climate-resilient practices, integrated pest management, and efficient post-harvest handling.
Coupled with limited access to finance and inadequate infrastructure, this perpetuates improper farming techniques, resulting in consistently poor yields, suboptimal quality, and significant missed income opportunities across the continent. Farmers, often smallholders, are left to rely on traditional methods, perpetuating a cycle of underperformance.
To fully grasp these challenges, it’s essential to understand the prevailing methods of sesame cultivation in Africa: African sesame is mostly grown by smallholders. In Sudan and Ethiopia, about half of the sesame land is large, semi-mechanized (using tractors and hired labor), and half is rain-fed. In West Africa (e.g., Senegal, Mali, Benin, Nigeria), production is almost entirely small-scale, low-input cultivation.
Sesame is sown at the start of the rainy season (e.g., May–June), on well-drained soils; it requires a long, hot growing season (20–35 °C) to fill pods. Harvesting (90–120 days after planting) is fully manual: plants are cut and sun-dried, then threshed and winnowed by hand.
Sesame thrives in tropical climates and tolerates drought and poor soils, making it attractive for dryland farmers. It is often intercropped or fits early in rotations after fallow. Farmers value it because it needs little water and few inputs: in West Africa, inputs like fertilizer and pesticides are rarely used. It is this low-maintenance behavior toward sesame that has led to low yields during most harvests.
Planting is usually done by hand-broadcasting or in simple rows. As the plants mature, bolls turn yellow/brown and must be harvested promptly, because over-ripe pods shatter easily (a source of loss). Harvest and post-harvest are labor-intensive. Farmers cut plants and pile them to dry in the sun for up to 1–2 weeks. Pods are then threshed by beating on drums or in a mortar, followed by manual winnowing. Because much of this is done by hand, labor is a major cost and constraint.
However, the narrative of low maintenance is precisely what holds African sesame back from its true potential. Transforming sesame into a high-yield, high-value commercial crop requires a shift from traditional, low-input farming to precision agriculture, supported by expert advice and modern farming techniques.
This means leveraging improved cultivars, adopting appropriate mechanization for planting and harvesting, implementing effective pest and disease management, optimizing nutrient application, ensuring efficient post-harvest handling to minimize losses, and even transforming the seed into products here in Nigeria. It demands treating sesame cultivation not as a sideline, but as a meticulously planned and executed agribusiness venture.
This is precisely where SAO Agro steps in. As a leader in sustainable agribusiness development across Africa, SAO Agro specializes in transforming agricultural potential into a tangible economic impact. We understand that maximizing the value of sesame, from farm to market and factory, requires not just land and labor but also strategic insight, technical expertise, and a commitment to modern best practices.
Our ongoing development of the 100-hectare sesame plantation in Nigeria is a living testament to this philosophy. Our advisory services are proving instrumental in charting a path to unparalleled success, leading to significantly higher yields and profitability. This project demonstrates how professional agribusiness management can fundamentally change the yield and profitability narrative for sesame in Africa.
For this 100-hectare project, SAO Agro implements a holistic suite of smart practices, turning challenges into opportunities:
- Soil management and land preparation: While many view sesame as a low-maintenance crop requiring minimal land work, SAO Agro knows that meticulous soil and land preparation are foundational to maximizing yield. Our advisory begins with comprehensive soil testing to determine pH levels, nutrient profiles, and optimal drainage requirements. We guide our client through precise land preparation, ensuring the soil is tilled to an ideal depth of 20 to 30 cm and enriched with the right balance of organic or mineral fertilizers to enhance fertility. Recognizing sesame’s sensitivity to waterlogging, we ensure rigorous attention to proper drainage, creating the perfect environment for robust plant growth.
- Seed selection: The choice of seed is paramount for a successful harvest. SAO Agro provides expert advice on sourcing certified seeds with high germination rates from reputable suppliers. We prioritize high-yield varieties specifically adapted to local conditions and possessing innate resistance to common devastating pests and diseases, such as the African bullworm and root rot, which are widespread, destructive, and difficult to control without the right cultivars. This strategic selection directly addresses historical issues of low yield and significant shattering losses.
- Efficient Post-Harvest Management: Addressing the significant challenge of post-harvest losses, SAO Agro advises on the adoption of modern harvesting and processing techniques, including the use of specialized threshing and cleaning equipment. This not only dramatically reduces waste but also enhances the market value of the harvested seeds.
- Price Determination and Financial Planning: Prices of sesame seeds in Nigeria are influenced by factors such as crop yield, global demand, and quality. We advise farmers to work with cooperatives and processors to establish fair pricing structures and negotiate for higher prices based on seed quality. We also provide robust financial models, risk assessment, and long-term sustainability plans for large-scale operations.
This approach, exemplified by our work on this 100-hectare project, positions SAO Agro as a pioneer in transforming African sesame from a modest-yielding crop into a strategically managed, highly profitable agribusiness. We believe that with the right advisory and application of best practices, Africa’s sesame sector can truly unlock its multi-billion dollar potential, empowering both large-scale investors and creating a ripple effect of improved practices for smallholders across the continent.
