Introduction:
Sesame seed is one of the nine major oilseeds produced in India. Sesame Seed is probably the oldest crop grown for its taste, dating back 2000 years to China. China and India are today the largest producers of sesame seed. Sesame Seed is the seed of an annual herb, Sesamum indicum, which grows well in hot climates. A sesame seed (Sesamum indicum) is also known as benniseed, gingelly, sim sim, and til. It is an annual plant, growing on average between 50 and 250 cm high, maturing between 75 and 150 days and is rich in flowers.

Growing Area:
It is an important kharif crop mainly cultivated in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kamataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Punjab. India is the largest producer of sesame seed in the world accounting for 30 per cent of the world output.


The eastern region comprising West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Andhra Pradesh mostly produce red and black variety sesame which is inferior to the white sesame grown in Gujarat and other western states. In the eastern region sesame is normally sown after the potato crop with mild doses of fertilizers. Not much irrigation is required.

Season in India:
Although a major portion of the sesame seed crop more than 80 per cent is cultivated as a kharif crop a small quantity is also cultivated as a rabi crop. Therefore, sesame seed is available throughout the year in the country. It requires a lot of water in order to grow and ripen and then a dry period during the harvesting.

Variety:
Sesame Seed is the most commonly produced seed. Basically they are yellowish, red, or black seeds.

These tiny, flat seeds come in shades of brown, red and black, but those most commonly found are a pale grayish-ivory. Sesame seed has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that makes it versatile enough for use in baked goods such as breads, pastries, cakes and cookies, in confections.

From the pods of the sesame plant, sesame seeds have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and are high in protein. They are available in both black and white.

Uses:
Sesame seeds (approximately 50% oil and 25% protein) are used in baking, candy making, and other food industries. Oil from the seed is used in cooking and salad oils and margarine, and contains about 47% oleic and 39% linoleic acid. Sesame oil and foods fried in sesame oil have a long shelf life because the oil contains an antioxidant called sesamol. The oil can be used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals and insecticides. Sesame meal, left after the oil is pressed from the seed, is an excellent high-protein (34 to 50%) feed for poultry and livestock.

Sesame seed is used mainly for human consumption on bread, bread sticks, cookies, health snacks (such as sesame bars), in prepared breakfasts (as an additive to cereal mixes) or on breakfast crackers. Several other products for human consumption are made from sesame seed.

Sesame oil is also mainly used for human consumption but a small percentage is used in the soap, cosmetic and skin care industries. The market for sesame oil is mainly located in Asia and the Middle East where the use of domestically produced sesame oil has been a tradition for centuries.

Mechanically Hulled Sesame Seed (MHSS) has wider application in topping for Hamburger buns. This product is also used in bakery and confectionery industries.

Natural White Sesame Seed (NWSS) is extensively used for the application in bakery products such as bread, bread sticks, cookies, candies, pasta, vegetables and curry dishes.

As Sesame seed Oil is cholesterol free so being used in health food industries.

Natural Black Sesame Seed (NBSS) carries medicinal properties and it is therefore advisable to take them raw or roasted or its oil to cure some of human diseases.

 

HULLED SESAME SEED

NATURAL BLACK SESAME SEED

NATURAL WHITE SESAME SEED

Sesame oil from India is made from raw seeds, while in China toasted sesame seeds are used; as a result Indian sesame oil has a quite bland flavor in comparison to the Chinese version.

Demand Supply Analysis:
Sesame seed can be harvested after 3 months, thereby allowing the farmers to produce other crops throughout the year. The taste of sesame also helped the growth in the demand for sesame seed. Another reason for its ever growing popularity is the longevity of the seed.

After long periods of storing, the germination rate of the seed remains very high. Probably the most important reason is that the oil itself is a very stable oil and has valuable uses which, until today, have not been fully recognized by the user/consumer.

Ø     Production of Sesame seed:

India, the world’s largest producer of sesame seeds, has become a major figure in world trade as well. In 2002, India produced 7, 30,000 tonnes of sesame seed 2, 10,000 tonnes more than the previous year and exported 2, 18,970 Tonnes of sesame seed.

Sesame seeds are produced in relatively hot and dry regions because the seeds are adaptable and drought resistant. India, China, Sudan, and Myanmar are world’s top producers that year.

• Sesame seed Oil: There are two types of oil - virgin and toasted. For virgin oils dried seeds are cold pressed to extract the oil. Toasted, on the other hand, is obtained by heating the residue of the cold pressed seeds and heating them to extract more oil. Therefore, the toasted oil is more intense in flavour and darker in colour. Most oriental cuisines use toasted sesame oil.

This remarkable oil is suitable for salad dressings, sauces, marinades, stir-frying, baking and confectionery.

The oil has other invaluable properties. It is very stable and does not turn rancid. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant as well.

Sesame Seed Oil has been used as healing oil for thousands of years. Sesame oil is mentioned in the Vedas as excellent for humans. It is naturally antibacterial for common skin pathogens, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete's foot fungus. It is naturally antiviral. It is a natural anti inflammatory agent.

Sesame seed oil absorbs quickly and penetrates through the tissues to the very marrow of the bone.

Ø     Exports of Sesame Seeds:

India is a major exporter of sesame seed in the world. It exports sesame seed to a number of countries including Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, USA, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, China, UK, UAE, etc. India's exports of sesame seed have gone up from 95105 tonnes in December 2000 to 218970 tonnes in December 2002.

Ø       Sesame Seed & Sesame Oil Price in India:

• Sesame Seed Extraction/Meal:

Sesame seed extraction is high protein feed meal. The protein has a high content of methionine & cystine and it is also rich in arginine and tryptophan but is deficient in lysine and to some extent in isoleucine. The PER value of the sesame extraction can be doubled by mixing it with an equal weight of soybean meal, which has high lysine content. This can also be achieved by supplementation with synthetic amino acids like lysine (0.2%) and isoleucine (0.1%). It is being used as a valuable ingredient upto 5% in well formulated poultry feed.

TOP