What Makes India The Top Exporter Of Sesame Seeds?

Sesame seeds are considered one of the healthiest seeds in the world and why not! Sesame seeds are obtained from sesame crop and are one of the oldest oilseed crops known to mankind.  The sesame crop is naturalized in tropical regions and is cultivated for the edible seeds which grow inside pods.

Most of the wild varieties of the crop are found in Africa and India. India is one of the top manufacturers and exporters of sesame seeds and the following are some more information and reasons for the same.

• India is the 2nd largest producer of sesame seeds in the world and has a normal average crop of about 540 thousand tons.  It is a fact that the total area under cultivation for sesame seeds in the country is about 1650 thousand hectare.

• A total of 5 states in India produce 80% of the total sesame in India and they are Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

• What makes India one of the top sesame seed manufacturers and exporters is the tropical climate found in several parts of the country. The crop needs tropical conditions to grow and to be cultivated and the Indian summer season is thus ideal for sowing. The sowing season begins in May or June and the harvesting period is around September or October.

• A good or a bad monsoon can has a big impact on the total produce because of the fact that farming in the country especially where sesame is grown is completely dependent on the rains with either no or little irrigation facility.

• It is a fact that the sesame crop does not require much water but some rains at the time of sowing and cultivation is a must. But rains at the time of harvest can leave the crop damaged.

• The local demand within the country of top quality and premium quality hulled is almost negligible and is limited to the winter months only.  But a large portion may be used for crushing so that oil extraction can be done from the seeds.

• India has several large scale processing plants and factories for the production or manufacturing of the seeds and one company which produces a large percentage of the total produce is HL Agro. The company has its processing plant and factory area based in Uttar Pradesh and is known for its bulk production of several varieties of sesame seeds.

• The fact that several such companies are continuously producing large quantities of sesame adds to the total export quality produce and puts India on the top of charts as far as sesame export is concerned.