Online Reporter
Edgar Vhera
THE Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) has deregistered one of the 13 sesame buyers due to non-compliance of regulations.
The measure was taken as part of efforts to bring sanity into the sector.
This comes as 3 million kilogrames of the crop have been sold by farmers.
According to a press release by AMA, the buyer’s licence was cancelled due to non-compliance while many fines were issued and the product confiscated.
In a letter to the buyer AMA said; “This cancellation is due to the contravention of Section 10 (i) (c) of the Statutory Instrument 140 of 2013 in that after a inspection of your warehouses and request for information, you failed to account for six tonnes of sesame which you had purchased with only four bags being housed in the warehouse.”
AMA as been working closely with law enforcement agencies and the Zimbabwe Sesame Association (ZSA) to monitor the movement of sesame across the country.
“To curb malpractices and promote orderly marketing, a number of fines were issued, product confiscated and one buyer was deregistered for non-compliance,” said AMA.
The authority said it will continue enforcing compliance through inspections, licensing and movement permits and reminded farmers/traders that side marketing and illegal exports undermine the sector and will not be tolerated.
AMA issued Regulatory Circular Number 1 of 2025 which outlines clear modalities for production and marketing of sesame.
The regulatory circular cited as the Agricultural Marketing Authority [Regulatory Circular on the Sesame Production and Marketing Modalities] Regulatory Circular Number 1 of 2025 applies to all registered sesame contractors, traders, processors and growers.
In addition, all growers, contractors, traders and processors for sesame shall be registered in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Authority (Grains, Oilseed and Products) By-laws, Statutory Instrument 140 of 2013 as amended.
This year AMA issued buying licenses to 13 buyers namely; Agri Upgrade, And Africa, Bei Agri, Blessed Destiny, CAG, Leafyard, Leguminosea, Mahommed, Richand, Sesame for Life, Sesame Zimbabwe, Vislee and World Class.
Statistics from AMA show that as of July 24, this year 2 798 781 kilogrammes of sesame had been sold, a giant 190 percent rise from 965 545kg during the same period in 2024.
This increase reflects growing interest in sesame production across marginal farming areas.
Sesame cultivation grew 238 percent from 18 422 hectares in the 2021/22 season to 62 259 in the 2024/25 season.
Online Reporter