TMX, COPRA push for value addition in sesame sector
DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) and Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) are pushing for quality sesame production and investment in value addition.
TMX Senior Trade Officer Ms Justa Martine told the ‘Daily New’ recently that the country’s sesame has the potential to penetrate global markets directly after value addition, instead of relying solely on intermediary buyers.
“We continue to provide education and seek investors to support the sesame sector, enabling us to sell value-added products directly to global markets, particularly in Europe. “Our market is in India and China, who then add value and resell to European markets,” Ms Martine said.
Also, the country exports raw sesame to Japan, with new markets in Austria and Vietnam. She said that value addition is critical to ensuring market stability and sustainable growth for the country’s farmers and traders.
Additionally, currently, about 2.0 per cent of sesame produced is consumed locally, with the remaining percentage exported.
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TMX and COPRA aim to change this by promoting processing facilities and infrastructure where sesame products can be refined, packaged and branded to meet global standards, while also boosting local demand.
“Relying entirely on foreign markets is risky. By adding value locally, we can access alternative markets and maintain stability,” she said.
Sesame is mainly produced in 13 regions which are Lindi, Iringa, Kigoma, Rukwa, Tanga, Manyara and Singida. Others are Mbeya, Katavi, Songwe, Ruvuma, Dodoma, Mtwara, Morogoro and Coastal.
In this season, the country produced 220,753,600 kilogrammes of sesame, which sold at an average price of 2,467 per kg.
The initiative is expected to boost the competitiveness of the country’s sesame sector while creating employment opportunities along the value chain, from farming to processing and marketing and opening the door to European and other highvalue markets.
