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AS Zimbabwe prepares for the 2026/2027 summer cropping season against the backdrop of a possible El Niño, the conversation around climate-smart agriculture has become increasingly important.
This week, our focus turns to another crop that deserves serious consideration: sesame.
The World Meteorological Organisation has noted that El Niño is strengthening, while the United States Climate Prediction Centre has indicated a greater than 90 percent chance that the current event will become very strong during the 2026/2027 period.
The message for agriculture is, therefore, clear: Farmers should continue to diversify towards crops and production systems that are better able to withstand rainfall variability and periods of moisture stress.
Sesame is relatively drought-tolerant once established and can perform in areas where rainfall is limited.
But the message to farmers is not simply, “Grow sesame because it needs less water.” At the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), we continue to encourage market-led farming.
Before putting seed into the ground, the farmer should be asking: Who is buying? Which variety is in demand? What quality is required? And what price is the market offering?
The recently closed sesame marketing season gives us a useful picture. The 2025/2026 sesame marketing season closed on August 14, 2026. According to AMA intake records, 2 315 001 kg of sesame was formally marketed, with a total value of US$1 839 700.80.
This translates to an average of about US$0,79 per kg across recorded purchases.
One of the clearest market signals this season was the stronger demand for black sesame. During compliance operations, black sesame was observed trading at US$0,70 to US$0,90 per kg, compared with about US$0,60 per kg for white sesame in the recorded cases.
That difference matters.
It reminds us that a farmer should not only ask whether sesame can grow on the farm. The farmer must also ask which sesame the market wants.
A growing international market
Sesame has a strong international market, particularly in Asia, where it is used in oils, bakery products, confectionery, tahini and traditional foods.
The latest complete global trade data shows that China remains by far the largest importer, taking about 1,18 billion kg in 2024. Turkey imported about 245 million kg, Japan about 193 million kg and India about 141 million kg.
The 2026 market continues to show strong Asian buying interest, although it is also highly competitive and increasingly quality-sensitive.
Pakistan, for example, exported more than 103 000 tonnes of sesame to China in the first seven months of 2026, more than double the volume shipped during the same period in 2025.
For Zimbabwe, Mozambique remains an important destination and trading route for sesame. This is significant because Mozambique is itself a major sesame exporter into Asia.
In 2024, Mozambique exported about 114 million kg of sesame, with China taking roughly 89 million kg and Japan about 17 million kg. Zimbabwe is, therefore, producing within a region that already has established links into some of the world’s biggest sesame markets. The opportunity is there. But accessing those markets consistently depends on quality.
Quality can make or
break the market
For farmers, quality begins long before the crop reaches the buyer.
Attention must be paid to harvesting, drying, storage and contamination. International buyers are particular about moisture levels, foreign matter, pesticide residues, purity and traceability.
A crop can look good in the field and still lose value if it is poorly handled after harvest.
Zimbabwe also has an opportunity to earn more through value addition.
Cleaned, graded and dehulled sesame generally attracts higher-value markets than unprocessed seed.
Instead of looking only at how many tonnes of sesame we can export, we should also be asking how much more value can be retained locally through cleaning, sorting, dehulling, packaging and oil processing.
Japan provides another useful lesson in producing for a specific market. Premium Japanese market segments value organic sesame, but organic is not simply a marketing label.
Products sold as organic in Japan must comply with the country’s Organic JAS certification system.
The lesson for farmers is simple: Premium markets pay for specifications.
If you want to target an organic market, production must be planned around those standards from the beginning. If the buyer wants black sesame, that should inform the seed you plant.
If the market requires cleaned or dehulled sesame, the value chain must have the processing capacity to supply it.
Do not plant first and look for a market later. This is why market information matters. We should avoid a situation where farmers hear that sesame performed well this year, and everyone plants it, and then the market becomes oversupplied.
Farmers should engage registered contractors and buyers, understand likely demand and establish market requirements before planting.
Sesame certainly deserves consideration as Zimbabwe looks for crops that can perform under increasing climate pressure. It offers drought tolerance, export potential and opportunities for value addition.
But its real value will come from combining climate-smart production with market intelligence.
As you plan for the coming season, do not only ask: Can sesame grow here?
Ask: Who will buy my sesame? Which type do they want? What standard must I meet? And what can I do to earn a better price? That is the difference between simply producing a crop and farming for a market.
Tina Nleya is AMA’s marketing and public relations manager. She can be contacted on email: [email protected]. Word From The Market is a column produced by AMA to promote market-driven production.
Online Reporter