Sesame: Long-forgotten crop

While many do not know sesame, it is of great importance to many countries like India, China and Sudan. Its cultivation is limited around the country where it is grown as a minor crop by smallholder farmers. Many farmers have neglected its production due limited knowledge by the industry, lack of appreciation by consumers and lack of publicly funding research for its improvement in the local environments. The lack of knowledge can be attributed to limited publicity of the crop.

Sesame is one of the most ancient crops and oilseeds known and used by mankind. It is known as benniseed, gingerly, simsim, ajonjoli, sesame or til. Locally I have known it as uninga (runinga). It was a major oilseed in the ancient world due to its easiness of extraction, great stability and resistance to drought. Its drought tolerance properties makes it suitable for cultivation in drought-prone areas of Zimbabwe.

Those who have grown it before testify that even when other crops are wilting, it will still stand turgid and green among the inter-crops that characterise the smallholder farmers’ fields. It is not affected by many pests and even some animals like goats feed on it as a last resort, making it a unique crop among others. This fits very well with smallholder farmers setting where little money is set aside for chemicals to control pests and diseases.

Research has shown that, sesame seed is a rich source of protein. Its non-culinary application includes its use as an ingredient in soap, cosmetics, lubricants and medicines. Sesame seeds also contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin known to have a cholesterol lowering effect in humans and to prevent high blood pressure. Cephalin, a phospholipid from sesame seed, has been reported to possess haemostatic activity.

The oil has wide medical and pharmaceutical applications. It is mildly laxative, emollient and demulcent. The seeds and fresh leaves may be used as a poultice.

The antibacterial activity of seeds against Staphylococcus and Streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete’s foot fungus, has also been well recognised.

The oil is also known to maintain high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL). Refined sesame oil is rich with antioxidant components like lignans allowing for greater shelf-life of foods plus improving their flavour and taste. In addition to its use as an antioxidant, sesame oil contains a large amount of linoleate in triglyceride form that selectively inhibit malignant melanoma growth.

In Zimbabwe bakeries like it as they sprinkle it on top of bread, hotdogs or hamburgers. Those who were wondering how this seed crop looks like have probably seen it on bread rolls from Baker’s Inn and Proton. However the limited amounts of these rolls on market the partly explains the low quantities of the produce countrywide. On bread/buns the seeds have been found to add a nutty taste, making the buns nicer than the ordinary ones.

If other countries like Sudan and Togo are producing this crop commercially, why not Zimbabwe which still requires a wide crop base considering the effects of climate change?

This crop does very well in tropical regions and our forefathers used to grow it successfully, but many have since forgotten it. It has a great potential for commercial use in Zimbabwe and should be considered as another option in dry regions. Much publicity and research focusing of its genetic improvement is required to tap into these benefits. Africa is said to have 2.80 million hectares under sesame after Asia which has 4,48 million hectares of the total world production area of 7,55 million hectares.

The question is: “How much is Zimbabwe contributing to this area.”