1. business and industrial
2. energy
3. oil

Sesame Sector Development
Lessons learned in
Burkina Faso and Mali
Peter Gildemacher, Geneviève Audet-Bélanger,
Ellen Mangnus, Floris van de Pol,
Darius Tiombiano and Karim Sanogo
Cover photos:
Above: Transport of sesame stalks, Mali. Photo: Mahamane Touré
Below: A handful of sesame seeds. Photo: ©FAO/Peter DiCampo / FAO
2 | Sesame Sector Development
Sesame Sector Development
Lessons learned in
Burkina Faso and Mali
Peter Gildemacher, Geneviève Audet-Bélanger,
Ellen Mangnus, Floris van de Pol,
Darius Tiombiano and Karim Sanogo
Photo: Darius Tiombiano
A sesame field managed following the good ­agricultural practices demonstrated in the famrer field schools, Burkina Faso
The sesame project was funded by the Common Fund for
Commodities (CFC), with a contribution by the OPEC Fund
for International Development (OFID), and co-funding by
Netherlands Directorate General for International Cooperation
(DGIS) and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.
The Intergovernmental Group on Oilseeds, Oils and Fats
­(IGGOOF) of the Food and Agricultural O
­ rganisation (FAO) acted
as Supervisory Body to the project.
The views and recommendations expressed in this report reflect
the opinions of the authors, on behalf of the implementing
organisations and do not necessarily reflect the views of CFC,
OFID and DGIS. The funding organisations are not responsible
for, or bound by the recommendations made.
Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)
PO Box 74656, 1070 BR Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.common-fund.org
Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Sustainable Economic Development & Gender
PO Box 95001, 1090 HA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.kit.nl/sed
HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
06 BP 9051, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
www.burkinafaso.helvetas.org
IFDC Mali
BP E103 Badalabougou-Est Fleuve, Bamako, Mali
www.ifdc.org/nations/mali
Language editing: Geneviève Fontaine
Layout editing: Anita Simons, symsign
Correct citation:
Gildemacher, P., Audet-Bélanger, G., Mangnus, E., Van de Pol,
F., Tiombiano, D., Sanogo, K., 2015. Sesame sector development; lessons learned in Burkina Faso and Mali. KIT & CFC,
Amsterdam.
This publication or parts of it may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, provided that copyright
­holders are duly acknowledged. It can be downloaded for
free from www.kit.nl/sed and www.common-fund.org
© 2015, Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and Common Fund
for Commodities (CFC)
2 | Sesame Sector Development
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
3
4
5
1 Introduction
7
1.1This Document
7
1.2
7
1.3Methodology Used for Documentation
The Sesame Project
of Experiences
2.1Historical Trends in the Production and Export
of Sesame in Burkina Faso and Mali
2.1.1
Sesame History
Soil fertility management
17
3.2
Seed Quality and Improved Varieties
18
3.3
Sesame Sowing Technique
23
3.4
Farmer Field Schools
24
4 Enhancing Sesame Value Addition
27
4.1Collaboration for an Innovative
Sesame Sector
27
4.2Organic Sesame
28
4.3Sesame Oil
28
4.4
Pure and White Sesame
9
4.4.1
Pure White Sesame
9
2.1.2The Evolution of Sesame Exports from
Burkina Faso and Mali
3.1
9
17
8
2 Sesame Sector Introduction
3 Improving Sesame Productivity
29
29
4.4.2Sesame cleaned to consumption
grade cleanliness 31
9
5 Gender Issues in the Sesame Sector 33
2.1.3Productivity Trends in Burkina Faso
and Mali 10
Sesame Value Chain
12
6 Conclusions and Recommendations 35
2.2.1
Sesame Collection System
12
6.1Conclusions
2.2.2
Financing Sesame Collection
13
2.3
Crop Husbandry Practices
14
2.4
Popularity of sesame as a cash crop explained
15
2.5
Constraints in Sesame Production
16
2.2
35
6.2Recommendations for Future
Interventions
7 References
36
39
Table of Contents | 3
Acknowledgements
The stakeholders of the sesame sector have immensely contrib-
­(Observatoire du Marché Agricole-OMA, Bamako), M. Balla KEITA
uted to the topics addressed in this document. We would like to
(INSTAT, Bamako), M. Lamissa Diakité (ECOFIL, IER, Bamako),
acknowledge Mme Velegda (VELEGDA, Burkina Faso), M. Sou-
M. Allen Ballo (EcoSahel, Bamako), M. Aboubacar Sidiki Trouffo
leymane Coulibaly (Direction Nationale de l’Agriculture /GIPD,
(OHVN, Mali), M. Joseph Sedgo (IRD-Mali), M. Leo Spaans and
Mali), M. Simpara Elhousseini (SITAMA, Bamako/Mali), M. Claude
M. Victor van der Linden (ICCO, Bamako).
Bovey (Burkinature, Ouagadougou/Burkina Faso), M. Mamadou
Cheick Konaté (Fondation Yiriwa, Mali), M. Oumar Keita, Générale
Moreover, we would like to acknowledge M. Somine Dolo,
­Malienne de Commerce et d’Investissement (GEMCI, Mali),
M. Benoit Koumaré, (Laboratoire National de Santé, Bamako),
M. Paul Tienou (Union des Agriculteurs de Tominian, UACT),
M. Moctar Boukenem (PCDA, Bamako), M. Harry van Egmond,
M. Sékou Coulibaly (Union des Producteurs de Sésame de
M. Hans Mol (RIKILT, Pays Bas), M. Harm Janssens, M. Henk
Koulikoro, UPSK), M. Hamadou Cissé (Secteur de l’Agriculture de
Heijthuijsen (T.L.R. International Laboratories, Rotterdam),
Bankass), M. Youssouf Coulibaly (Sous-secteur de l’agriculture
Jorn van den Dop (Tradin Organic Agriculture, Amsterdam,
de Cinzana), M. Amos Miningou (INERA / CREAF-Kamboinsé,
Hamza Camara (IFDC), Ouedraogo Herman and SNV for their
Burkina Faso) and M. Zoumana Kouyaté (SRA/Cinzana, Mali).
participation in various activities related to the project.
Many people and their organizations have been willing to share
Finally, the data collection would have never been possible
with us statistics, secondary data and study reports on the sesa-
without the help of Soumana Coulibaly, Souleymane Dao,
me sector. In Burkina Faso, these are Mme Pauline Tenkodogo,
Mamadou Daou, Seydou Maïga, Souleymane Kone, Soumeïla
M. Zala Maxime, M. Boureima BARRY, M. Bila Koumtoubre
K Sanogo, Oumar Tabouré, Yaya Traore under the coordina-
(Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Hydraulique et des Ressources
tion of Hamady Konate in Mali. In Burkina Faso we are thankful
Halieutiques, Direction de la Prospective et des Statistiques
to Thiombiano P. Clémence, Coulidiati Rigobert Faustin Arthur,
Agricoles et Alimentaires). In Mali, we are thankful to M. ­Issoufi
Chiombiano Fernand Y., Fimba Ouoba, Thiombiano Moussa,
Halassi Maïga (Unité de Mise en Œuvre du Cadre Intégré,
Bernard Nassouri, Raoul Ouedraogo, Thiombiano Roger under
UMOCI, Bamako), M. Kalil Samba Maïga et M. Salif Diarra
the coordination of Lompo Bépampo.
Photo: Darius Tiombiano
Members of a sesame farmer field school after finishing weeding of the demonstration experiment, Burkina Faso
4 | Sesame Sector Development
Executive Summary
Between 2009 and 2013 Helvetas, IFDC and KIT implemented,
local seed. Supporting the development of commercial quality
with national partners, a sesame sector development project
seed production and marketing is an important entry point
funded by the Common Fund for Commodities, with a substan-
for any future sesame sector intervention. Contract farming
tial contribution from the OPEC Fund for International Develop-
schemes are unlikely to solve investment difficulties met by
ment (OFID). This document aims to provide current and future
smallholder producers: earlier initiatives failed as credit recovery
actors in the sesame sector in Burkina Faso, Mali and beyond
rates were too low because of farmers’ tendency to default
with the insights and experiences gained during the project.
on their contract and sell to higher bidders.
Since 2010, sesame has developed from a marginal crop to a
Farmer field schools showed to be a very suitable capacity
major agricultural export commodity in Burkina Faso and Mali.
building method to improve sesame crop husbandry and
The volumes exported increased more than ten-fold and the
demonstrate the use of fertilizer and high quality seed. Yield
area dedicated to sesame production is now five times larger
increases of 30 to 60% can be expected as a result of improved
in Burkina Faso and 2.5 times larger in Mali. The total farm gate
crop husbandry, in addition to the effect of good quality seed.
value of sesame in Burkina Faso in 2012 was roughly equal to
The project managed to mobilise many grassroots organiza-
that of cotton. Sesame production is attractive for producers
tions and development partners to implement the farmer
compared to cotton as it provides higher profits per hectare,
field schools, who continued to apply the methodology
requires less investment, is not as labour intensive, is more
beyond the project life. It will be essential to develop a good
drought tolerant, and is paid in cash at the farm gate.
strategy to reach farmer groups that haven’t yet been reached
to continue training efforts.
The sesame sector is entirely export oriented, there is virtually
no local market. In Burkina Faso, the sesame collection system
The organization and collaboration of sesame sector actors
is highly competitive, putting pressure on (and diminishing)
can help ensure continuous innovation in the sector and can
quality control. Buyers at different levels compete to purchase
contribute to maintaining international competitiveness. A full
sesame in the short period from the end of November to
formal “interprofession” seems too ambitious for the sesame
­February; the financial needs for the collection campaign
sector, as there is no single strong convening power like that
are enormous, providing an opportunity for tailored financial
in the cotton sector. It would be more realistic to settle for a
services in both countries.
lighter fit-for-purpose form of sesame sector collaboration,
such as a national sesame innovation platform.
Sesame production is currently profitable but there is room for
productivity improvement. Eventually, production efficiency and
It was found that there is potentially a limited local high-end
price will become important factors for international competi-
market for reasonably priced sesame oil, which could form
tiveness. The recorded average yield in Burkina Faso was 555 kg
the basis for the development of a domestic sesame oil in-
per hectare in 2011, compared to 445 kg per hectare in Mali in
dustry. At the current price levels and profit margins though,
2012, according to national statistics. External input use is very
exporting crude sesame is much more profitable and less risky
modest, only 15% and 21% of farmers use fertilizer in Burkina
than oil processing, and investing in sesame oil processing
Faso and Mali, and half of sesame producers never replace seed.
is not advised. Oil processing should only be considered
when/if world market prices drop and result in seasonally
Simple farmer managed fertilizer trials in Burkina Faso showed
lower prices for sesame.
that a modest dose of fertilizer (75 kg NPK 14:23:14 per hectare)
can be advised as it increased yields by 75%, providing a return
Organic sesame production isn’t currently promising for value
on investment of 320%. The addition of any organic material
addition either. Prices for conventional sesame routinely peak
available, in the form of manure or compost, can also be
above the prices for organic sesame, pushing organically
advised. Similar farmer managed trials showed a return on
­certified farmers to sell their produce on the conventional
­investment in quality seed of 1,900% compared to recycled
­market rather than to organic exporters, who then default
Executive Summary | 5
on their delivery contracts. This may change once prices
•Sesame variety selection from neighbouring countries and
for conventional sesame drop substantially.
through crosses is worth the effort, specifically to find:
Large grain white varieties;
„
Pure white sesame provides some opportunity for modest value
„
addition and specialisation. To ensure white sesame is produced,
„
Varieties with high oil content;
Longer season varieties with a higher yield potential
farmers need to replace their seed regularly, which many cur-
adapted to the longer rainy season in the Southern parts
rently do not do. For the current best white variety, S42, addi-
of Mali and Burkina Faso.
tional colour sorting using a Sortex is still required to satisfy mar-
•Research into pest and disease management is required.
ket demands. Considering the limited price premium for white
As sesame has become a major crop in Burkina Faso, risks
sesame, it is doubtful whether investments could be recouped.
Similarly, price incentives for consumption grade clean sesame
of pest and disease outbreaks are mounting.
•The farmer field school approach for farmer training has
are not high. It does, however, increase sesame exporters’ ability
been effective and can be further promoted, provided that
to bargain with different clients directly rather than having to sell
specific efforts are made to reach farmers who haven’t yet
to in-between international traders who clean and repackage
produce before reselling it. This can be a major advantage and
been trained on good sesame farming practices.
•Sowing machines could be promoted in Burkina Faso to
justify the investment in packaging and cleaning facilities.
improve the timing of sowing and reduce drought damage
as result of late planting.
The best opportunity to improve revenue from sesame production in Burkina Faso and Mali is possibly to link exporters more
Value chain development
directly to the larger processing industry, especially in eastern
•Sesame exporters from Burkina Faso and Mali can be
Asia. However, it has to be recognised that the current interna-
­assisted through trade missions to and from Asian sesame
tional intermediate traders adequately meet the demands of
processing countries, with the objective of developing direct
the international market by sourcing from different countries
trade relations.
and continents to ensure a constant supply to their clients.
•Sesame exporters can be supported in hiring bilingual staff
Based on the above insights the following opportunities can
•Develop a functioning sesame collection credit system with
to facilitate direct trade with Asian and European countries.
be suggested for future interventions:
sesame exporters and banks to increase independence from
intermediate buyers.
Productivity increase
•Improve the capacity for national competitiveness and
•Further productivity increase through the intensification
­innovation through the transformation of efforts to develop
of sesame production is the best opportunity for increased
a sesame “interprofession” into a lighter fit-for-purpose
poverty impact of the sesame sector.
­innovation platform.
•Specifically, promotion of high quality seed and modest
fertilizer use can contribute to further productivity increase.
•The development of commercial sesame seed production
Value addition and processing
•Cautiously consider investing in organic sesame farming,
and marketing is worth investing in, considering the impor-
as additional efforts are currently not being compensated
tance of quality seed for higher production:
Develop (in Burkina Faso) and improve (in Mali) a pre-
„
by higher prices.
•Cautiously consider investing in sesame oil processing,
ordering and pre-financing system for (pre-)basic seed
under current market circumstances, as the trade in crude
production by the public research institutes in order to
improve their links with commercial seed multipliers;
Support seed companies in the development of fine-
­sesame and serve the white sesame market, as a reliable
„
meshed seed distribution systems all the way to village
supply of reasonably white sesame cannot currently
levels, allowing producers to buy high quality seed in
be guaranteed.
small quantities locally;
sesame is more lucrative.
•Cautiously consider investing in facilities to colour sort
•Assess, with entrepreneurs, the opportunity of value addition
Lobby for a halt to government-run subsidy schemes
through sesame hulling.
„
for sesame seed, as they distort the market and hinder
•Support sesame exporters’ investment in cleaning equip-
private sector development.
•Further research into a compound fertilizer optimised for
sesame would be helpful. The current compound fertilizer
used is tailored for cotton.
6 | Sesame Sector Development
ment through:
Co-funding investment in equipment;
„
„
Technical support during the installation and pilot use
of cleaning equipment.
1Introduction
1.1 This Document
As new sesame sector development initiatives emerge in
Burkina Faso, Mali, and beyond–designed, initiated and run
This publication is the result of a sesame sector development
by people who also intend to learn from, and build on past
project implemented in Burkina Faso and Mali between 2009
­experiences–our efforts to document the experience gained
and 2013. This project aimed to develop the sesame sector in
will hopefully contribute to their success.
an integrated manner through a combination of interventions
in sesame production, the sesame value chain and by promoting industrial scale sesame processing.
1.2 The Sesame Project
The experience gained during the implementation of this
This sesame project was initiated by sector stakeholders in
­project is presented here in an accessible manner for the
Burkina Faso, most notably a private sector organization
­benefit of any individual working to improve and innovate
(Burkinature), a farmer organization (Association Piéla-Bilanga),
in the sesame sector in Burkina Faso and Mali, and possibly
an NGO (Helvetas) and a public organization (The Ministry of
beyond. This document is meant to be easily palatable and
Industry, Commerce and Crafts). They identified the sesame
of a highly practical nature, in the hopes of assisting those
sector as one of emerging economic importance facing a
who will find themselves in the same situation as the authors
number of acute difficulties, the most challenging being the
at the beginning of the project.
­rejection of sesame from Burkina Faso by the European market
as a result of salmonella contamination. In response, a proposal
Agricultural commodity development is challenging and the
to inaugurate a sesame oil processing factory which would
response to difficulties met is often the proposal of a new
source sesame from both Burkina Faso and Mali was submitted
­implementation methodology, fed by new insights proposed
to the Common Fund for Commodities.
by development specialists and analysts and embraced by
policy and decision makers. Little effort is made to build on the
After a sesame sector analysis, the initial proposal was altered
experience gained during earlier attempts in the same context.
into a more encompassing sesame sub-sector development project. The main reason for this change was that it was
In contrast, the sesame sector development project in Burkina
deemed doubtful whether the inauguration of a factory alone
Faso and Mali was started with the steadfast intent to learn from
would be enough for both countries to increase their ben-
past experiences, build on past initiatives and collaborate with
efits from commercial sesame production. More specifically,
and integrate activities in ongoing interventions. However,
the business case for in-country sesame oil production was
one of the main challenges was the lack of any documented
not very clear and required further investigation in compari-
experience from which to start. Any information about previ-
son to other options to add value. Finally, the sesame sector
ously held initiatives resided exclusively in the memory of
was, and remains, in the unique situation where demand is
individuals involved in their implementation.
higher than supply, which makes it easy for sesame producers
to market their produce and make a profit. Given this almost
The project became a learning trajectory during which errors
secured ­market from the farmer point of view, it was considered
were made and recognised, and progress was achieved as a
­opportune to also invest in relatively straightforward support
result of learning while doing. Once the project was finished,
to ­productivity and production increase, which have a direct
its developers felt they mastered the ins and outs of the of the
impact on farmer income. Finally, ensuring lasting competitive-
sesame sector to the extent where they could make better
ness for the sesame sector in the two countries was deemed
­decisions in regards to development efforts. As noted earlier,
important; to improve international competitiveness, improved
it is also important to document the experience gained so as
sector collaboration and innovation is required.
not to risk losing knowledge as the project developers move
on to new endeavours.
1 Introduction | 7
The re-design resulted in a project in Burkina Faso and
Mali aiming at:
1 Improving the production of sesame for export;
2 Improving the functioning of the sesame value chain;
3Developing industrial scale processing of sesame in
Burkina Faso and Mali.
•Secondary data was collected in both Burkina Faso and Mali
through the national bureaus of statistics, Ministries of Agriculture, and projects and programs intervening in the sesame sector.
•A study was implemented in which randomly selected
­farmers, and deliberately selected traders and exporters,
were interviewed to better understand the sesame value
chain (in the report called ‘sesame chain survey’).
The project was funded by the Common Fund for Commodities
(CFC), with a substantial financial contribution from the OPEC
Fund for International Development (OFID), coordinated by the
Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), with national implementation assured
by Helvetas and IFDC in Burkina Faso and Mali, respectively.
•A study was implemented to assess the changes in
sesame farming practices brought on by the sesame
farmer field schools (in the report called ‘FFS survey’).
•Helvetas and IFDC wrote an internal report on the achievements and lessons learned by the sesame projects in Burkina
Faso (Helvetas, 2014) and Mali (IFDC, 2014) respectively.
•An end-of-project stakeholder meeting was organised
1.3Methodology Used for Documentation
of Experiences
to synthesize project lessons (in the report called
­‘documentation workshop’).
•Specific field trials have been initiated. Each farmer field
This document was written by the project coordinators from
school compared ‘common farmer practices’ with the
IFDC in Mali and from Helvetas in Burkina Faso, in collabora-
­‘improved technologies’ proposed. This provided data
tion with the project advisors from the Royal Tropical Institute.
on yields under farmer management. In addition, specific
As such, the authors can be considered participant-observers,
trials were conducted to test alternative varieties, fertilizer
who were themselves immersed in the project. As such, their
regimes and the yield benefits of high quality seed.
observations are not value-free since they are construed from
experience gained during the project, but it must be acknowl-
As a whole this may not provide for a methodology which
edged they are unavoidably somewhat biased since the authors
would receive scientific acclaim, but as authors we consider
are also stakeholders.
the methodology and evidence sound enough to provide
recommendations to current and future actors in the sesame
Where possible, claims have been substantiated with data.
sector. Especially since we ourselves at the beginning of our
­Specific efforts were made to collect quantitative data to
project were lacking a pragmatic, well-thought analysis of
­support the lesson-learned document presented here:
the sector and opportunities for intervention.
Sesame threshing on a sheet as recommended, Mali
8 | Sesame Sector Development
Photo: Mahamane Touré
2 Sesame Sector Introduction
2.1Historical Trends in the Production and
Export of Sesame in Burkina Faso and Mali
The area dedicated to sesame production increased five-fold in
Burkina Faso between 2000 and 2010, while in Mali it increased
2.5 times (Table 1).
2.1.1 Sesame History
The location in which sesame was first domesticated has long
The export figures presented in Figure 1 should be interpreted
been debated and was believed to be in Africa. However,
with some caution. There is significant informal cross-border
more recent evidence points towards earlier domestication
trade between Burkina Faso and Mali for sesame. A major ­
on the Indian sub-continent (Mkamilo and Bedigian, 2007;
sesame production zone in Burkina Faso, the Boucle de
Fuller, 2003). Sesame is considered by many as the first source
Mouhoun, borders on Mali and sesame traders from Burkina
of ­vegetable oil known to mankind (Bedigian, 2004). For
Faso venture into the neighbouring country to stock up and
­thousands of years, sesame was cultivated for this purpose on
satisfy the demand for exports through Burkina Faso. In addition
the Indian sub-continent and in the Middle and Far East. Four
it would be naïve to assume that all sesame exported by road
thousand years ago, in Babylonia, sesame was already a crop
from Mali and Burkina Faso to the harbours in Ghana, Togo,
of high value (Mkamilo and Bedigian, 2007). The Enuma Elish
Benin and Ivory Coast is officially declared. Finally, part of the
(the Mesopotamian/Babylonian creation myth) tells of the gods
sesame produced in one season is stored and exported in the
who drank sesame wine on the night before the creation of the
next year. Still, the general trend is undeniable: over little more
earth (Smith, 1876). Sesame has been cultivated for centuries in
than a decade, sesame has become a major foreign cash earner
West Africa as well, and was imported to South Carolina as early
for the national economy of Burkina Faso, and a cash crop of
as 1730 (Holloway, 2005).
similar significance to cotton for farmers. Mali is cautiously
­following the trend observed in Burkina Faso.
Sesame is traditionally used in West Africa for its oil. Some
women also prepare cookies by mixing raw or toasted sesame
Figure 1: Evolution of production and export of sesame
seeds with sugar as collate. In all, however, sesame is rarely
­volumes from Burkina Faso and Mali, 2000-2012
incorporated into sauces which accompany the traditionally
consumed cereals. The large majority of sesame produced is
destined for export rather than auto-consumption. It is consid-
120,000
100,000
ered solely an export cash crop rather than a domestic market
or subsistence crop.
80,000
2.1.2 The Evolution of Sesame Exports from
60,000
Burkina Faso and Mali
oped considerably, with yearly increases in registered exported
volumes of 30 to 40% (Figure 1). Combined, the annual exports
from both countries have reached a value of 50 billion FCFA.
Sesame exports have become especially significant in Burkina
Faso, with a worth of 45 billion FCFA in 2012, compared to
40,000
20,000
Tonnes
Especially since the year 2000, sesame exports have devel-
0
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
Année
what is traditionally the most important foreign currency earner,
Mali Exportation
Burkina Faso Exportation
cotton, which had an export value of 140 billion FCFA. For
Production Mali
Production Burkina Faso
­producers, this is an even more significant development, as
they receive a larger percentage of the proceeds from sesame
(75%) compared to cotton (23%). This means that the total
farm gate value of the sesame sector roughly equalled that
of cotton, with 34 billion and 32 billion FCFA, respectively.
Sources: Export figures: Customs data provided to the Direction Nationale du Commerce et de la Concurrence in Burkina Faso and the Unité
de Mise en Œuvre du Cadre Intégré in Mali. International Trade Centre
(ITC, www.trademap.org). Production figures: Ministère de l’Agriculture/
DGEM/DGPER/DPSAA in Burkina Faso, INSTAT in Mali.
2 Sesame Sector Introduction | 9
Table 1: Area of sesame harvested in Burkina Faso and
Table 2: Export prices obtained for sesame from Burkina Faso
Mali in 2000 compared to 2010 (ha)
and Mali for different destinations, 2012 (FCFA/kg)
2000
2010
% increase
Europe,
Burkina Faso
24,587
125,471
510%
Canada
Mali
12,961
32,394
250%
467
812
503
367
654
394
322
457
Total
748
497
361
466
+ 38%
+6%
-29%
-
Difference
from average
Singapore; Burkina Faso also exports much of its production
Average
Mali
Burkina Faso and Mali. It can be observed that a considercountries. For Burkina Faso, another important transit hub is
Other
Burkina Faso
Figure 2 presents the destination of sesame exported from
able portion of exports transit through West-African coastal
Asia
Sources: Customs data provided to the Direction Nationale du Commerce et de la Concurrence in Burkina Faso and the Unité de Mise en
Œuvre du Cadre Intégré in Mali.
to the near East and Tunisia. For Mali, Europe is a significant
destination for its sesame produce. While Burkina Faso exports
The sesame export season spans from December to roughly
similar volumes to Europe as Mali, it represents only 2% of the
April and peaks in January (this follows the production season,
country’s total export volume. China is a major direct export
as the first crop is harvested by the end of November). It can
destination for both countries.
thus be concluded that the turn-around time from harvest till
export is short, and the export is highly seasonal.
Figure 2: Destination of sesame exported from Burkina Faso
and Mali in 2012
Figure 3: Monthly sesame export from Burkina Faso,
2009-2013
Burkina Faso (97,000 tonnes)
Mali (7,500 tonnes)
40,000
35,000
Jan
2013
30,000
1% 4%
16%
4%
28%
21%
36%
20,000
15%
2%
Jan 2012
25,000
38%
34%
Tonnes
10,000
Middle East, Tunesia
Asia, other countries
China
West Africa
Europe, Canada
Europe
Singapour
Sources: Customs data provided to the Direction National du Commerce
et de la Concurrence in Burkina Faso and the Unité de Mise en Œuvre du
Cadre Intégré in Mali.
Jan 2010
Jan 2011
15,000
Jan 2009
5,000
0
ND J F MAM J J A S OND J F MAM J J A S OND J F MAM J J A S OND J F MAM J J A S OND J F M
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Source: International Trade Centre (ITC, www.trademap.org).
2.1.3 Productivity Trends in Burkina Faso and Mali
Based on figures from the agricultural census of 2012, 14% of
farmers in Burkina Faso and 5% of farmers in Mali produce sesa-
Table 2 presents an indication of the export prices obtained for
me. Table 3 shows that the average yield is 555 kg of sesame per
different destinations, based on data obtained from customs.
hectare in Burkina Faso and 445 kg per hectare in Mali, based
Clearly, exports to Europe and Canada form the upper segment
on the same census data, while the median yield is somewhat
of the market, but the total volumes are relatively modest as
lower at 480 and 400 kg per hectare, respectively. This indicates
seen in Figure 1. Prices for direct export to Asian countries are
that producers with larger plots tend to obtain somewhat higher
on average lower than those for Europe and Canada. The low-
average yields than producers with smaller plots.
est prices obtained are for exports to ‘other’ countries, which
consist mainly of the proportion of sesame which transits
through buyers in coastal West African countries.
10 | Sesame Sector Development
Table 3: Sesame productivity in Burkina Faso, 2011
collected in our own survey is based on farmers’ estimate of
and Mali, 2012
their yields and plot size, two parameters known to be subject
to error. Nonetheless, it indicates that the average productivity
Average yield (kg/ha)
Burkina Faso
Mali
555 ± 16*
445 ± 24
480
400
Median yield (kg/ha)
mentioned in the national census might be overestimated in
both countries.
There is a considerable spread in yields obtained among
Source: DGPER Burkina Faso (data 2011/2012); CPS, Mali (data 2012/2013)
* Standard deviation in the average presented (=StDev/√n)
­producers (Table 5). The agricultural census data show that
9% of producers obtain yields lower than 150 kg per hectare
in Burkina Faso, while the top 11% producers obtain yields over
Table 4: Sesame productivity according to farmer estimates in
1 tonne per hectare. Again, data based on farmer estimates are
Burkina Faso and Mali, 2013
considerably lower than figures from the census.
Burkina Faso
Mali
Average yield (kg/ha)
222
90
data are obtained with each study. However, the census data
Median yield (kg/ha)
200
83
is ­collected in a methodologically robust manner, as actual
Actual crop yields are difficult to determine since different
samples are taken from selected farmers’ fields. At the same
Source: KIT sesame chain survey
time, the substantially lower estimates by producers, combined
with the substantial spread in yield estimates in all studies show
The values obtained through the census are considerably higher
that there is a lot of potential for increased productivity. Since
than the yield estimates obtained by questioning producers
it appears that the smaller plots have lower yields, it is possible
for our survey and a survey conducted by ICCO (non pub-
that the census has been focussing on larger farms, which as
lished results). It has to be considered, however, that the data
a rule are managed in a more professional manner.
Table 5: Distribution of yield levels of sesame in Burkina Faso, 2011 and Mali, 2012
Yield category (in kg/ha)
<150
150-300
300-450
450-600
600-750
750-1000
1000-1500
>1500
Agricultural census 2011
9%
13%
24%
17%
11%
14%
8%
3%
Sesame chain study 2012
23%
57%
17%
2%
0%
2%
0%
0%
Agricultural census 2012
12%
20%
28%
15%
9%
9%
6%
1%
Sesame chain study 2012
77%
22%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Burkina Faso
Mali
Source: DGPER Burkina Faso (data 2011/2012); CPS, Mali (data 2012-2013)
Figure 4: Distribution of yields over yield categories, Burkina Faso, 2011 and Mali, 2012
30%
25%
Percentage of yield per plot size
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
100
200
Yield (kg/ha)
300
400
500
600
700
Burkina Faso
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
Mali
2 Sesame Sector Introduction | 11
The yields obtained also vary per region (Table 6). These vari-
2.2 Sesame Value Chain
ations can partly be explained by agro-ecology, mainly rainfall
In order to intervene in the sesame sector, it is essential to
potential. Yields in the Sahel, Nord and Centre Nord regions in
understand the value chain of the product. The most impor-
Burkina Faso have lower yields, while substantially higher yields
tant determining feature is that there is practically no domestic
are obtained in the Cascades and the Sud-Ouest. In addition,
market for the product. Traditionally, some seeds are roasted
it seems that those zones where specific efforts have been
and a little oil is produced for local consumption, but the bulk
made to train new sesame producers to adopt good agricultural
of production is exported. Detailed figures do not exist, but it
practices have higher yields. In Burkina Faso, efforts have been
is safe to assume that the national consumption is negligible
made to train farmers in the Centre, Centre-Est and Est regions,
and would not even represent 1% of the total production in
for example, and relatively good yields are being recorded. In
­either Burkina Faso or Mali. As a result the most important
Mali, there is less variation between regions and the statistics
actors in the value chain are exporters. They ensure that the
do not point to any clear agro-ecological causes: the average
produce finds a buyer outside the country; they get the sesame
documented yields in the drier Mopti region are higher than
from the farm to the boat.
the average yields obtained in Sikasso region.
2.2.1 Sesame Collection System
Participants in the project lesson capitalisation meeting specifi-
The sesame chain survey provided a better understanding of
cally indicated that there are sesame production zones in Mali
the sesame supply system. Figure 5 shows how the product
where, until now, very little effort has been made to profes-
flows from producer to exporter. In both countries, producers
sionalize the production, be it by public organizations, NGOs
have a number of competing options to sell their sesame:
or private initiatives. In these areas, sesame production remains
they can market it through a farmer group, or in a somewhat
largely traditional and producers do not aim to maximise profits
more organised form, through a cooperative; they can also
but are satisfied with the minor additional revenues they obtain
sell to a village trader, who buys at the market or at a collec-
from growing small quantities of sesame as a side business. In
tion point; or they can sell to field brokers who work indepen-
general, commercial sesame production has been developed
dently, for village traders, for larger intermediate traders, or for
further in Burkina Faso than in Mali: in Burkina Faso, sesame
exporters, and who travel to the field to buy sesame directly,
production and marketing is a country-wide enterprise nowa-
often even before the harvest. Every actor who purchases
days, with the possible exception of the arid North and the
sesame then has the option to resell their stock, based on
more humid far South of the country, while in Mali it remains
price and competition.
more scattered and restricted to certain regions where buyers
know substantial amounts of sesame are being produced.
At the top of the chain you find the exporters, who employ
field brokers and buy from intermediate traders. Intermediate
Table 6: Average yields obtained per region in Burkina Faso,
traders can decide to stockpile sesame to manipulate the sup-
2011 and Mali, 2012
ply and speculate on rising prices, before selling to exporters.
They often have direct relations with exporters, and part of their
Burkina Faso
kg/ha
(2011-2012)
Mali
kg/ha
(2010-2011)
operations can include acting as buying agents for an exporter
(using the exporter’s money), combining purchases with their
Sahel
317
Koulikoro
353
own. Field brokers buy sesame directly from farmers and organ-
Centre-Nord
334
Kayes
364
ise transport from ad-hoc collection points. Few field brokers
Centre-Ouest
461
Sikasso
367
are self-employed, the majority works as sesame collectors for
Hauts-Bassins
506
Mopti
435
a larger buyer.
Centre-Sud
526
Ségou
534
Nord
536
Thanks to the sesame chain survey, we can roughly estimate
Boucle Du Mouhoun
543
the percentage of sesame producers who sell to each type of
Est
618
buyer (Table 7). The figures show that there are important differ-
Centre-Est
640
ences in the collection system between the two countries. The
Cascades
640
percentage of producers who sell to a field broker contracted
Sud-Ouest
647
by a larger buyer from outside the community is 75% in Burkina
Centre
669
Faso, compared to 23% in Mali, and those selling to a coop-
Plateau Central
745
erative or a farmer organization represent 11%, versus 50%,
respectively. Although the latter figures could be partly exagger-
Source: DGPER Burkina Faso; INSTAT, Mali
12 | Sesame Sector Development
ated because farmers feel obliged to indicate their cooperative
as their main buyer while actually selling a large proportion
of their production elsewhere, it shows that organised group
Among exporters, three different types can be recognised.
marketing is much more important in Mali than in Burkina Faso.
The first type is local business persons who buy agricultural
This can, to a large extent, be explained by the necessity to do
produce for export; sesame is not the only crop they deal with,
so. Whereas sesame has become an almost nation-wide grown
but for many it is the mainstay and most cash intensive busi-
commodity in Burkina Faso, with a fine-meshed network of col-
ness they are running. The second is agents for international
lectors, it is not so in Mali where production is more dispersed
buying companies who stay in the country only during sesame
and concentrated in certain areas only. To attract buyers, Malian
collection season, roughly from the end of November to the
farmers have to make the effort to bulk their produce.
end of February. The third is permanent agents for international
sesame trading companies.
Figure 5: Graphic representation of the sesame collection
2.2.2 Financing Sesame Collection
chain in Burkina Faso and Mali
Given that sesame is largely paid for immediately upon collection, trade finance is a major constraint, especially because all
EXPORTER
collection takes place in a period of only two to three months.
Considering that the sesame farm gate price in Burkina Faso
in 2012 was about 400 FCFA/tonne and that the total volume
INTERMEDIATE TRADER
exported was around 100,000 tonnes, this means that collectors needed to finance around 40 billion FCFA, slightly over
61 million Euro, in a very short period.
UNIONS
Since demand has historically been greater than supply, prepaCOOPERATIVE
ration for the collection season is primordial for collectors:
VILLAGE TRADER
they need to have the resources to start collecting sesame as
soon as possible, as proceeds usually rise steadily from the end
PRODUCER GROUP
of November to April. The collectors with the most resources
FIELD BROKER
available at the start of the collection season have the best
chances of satisfying their customers’ demands.
PRODUCER
Exporters combine funding from different sources. An important source is funding advances from foreign customers, howTable 7: Fractions of sesame producers selling to different first
ever, this means that the exporter’s client list is set in advance
buyers in Burkina Faso and Mali, 2013
and results in lower profit margins. A second source of funding
is an exporter’s own capital, combined with loans from other
Burkina Faso
Mali Price offered
FCFA/kg
business people, including family. Finally, the banking system
can also provide funding but it is hesitant (and slow) in stepping
Individual field broker
4%
18%
358
into the market of short term trade finance, even though
Village buyer
5%
8%
n/a
it would theoretically be valuable for them.
11%
50%
391
75%
23%
433
5%
2%
400
Cooperative or farmer
group
Field broker, from outside
A bank in Mali is piloting a flexible rolling credit system with
the village
Sold in town
an important buyer. The buyer’s facilities, worth 1.5 times
the value of the initial loan, are used as collateral by the bank.
Once sesame is declared and confirmed to be in stock in
the cleaning facility, it is then also considered as collateral and
Source: Sesame chain survey
fresh credit can be obtained. This system allows, in theory, for
a swift money turnover and serves the collectors well during
Almost 10% of the sesame produced is sold, often piecemeal,
the frantic season. Other exporters still have to make do with
directly by farmers at local markets and nearby towns to satisfy
fixed loans with annual interest rates reaching 20% and higher.
immediate cash needs. The buyers are either larger intermedi-
It is possible that this example will show other creditors in
ate traders or small village level collectors who make a living,
Burkina Faso that providing short term trade credit to sesame
like the somewhat larger intermediate traders, from collect-
collectors can be profitable. That the sesame sector is currently
ing, bulking and stocking sesame, and speculate on increasing
not well understood by the financial sector is well illustrated
prices during the first months of the year.
by the following anecdote:
2 Sesame Sector Introduction | 13
“When trying to mobilize credit with a bank, during a meeting with the management of the bank, I had
to explain to the CEO that sesame seeds are the small grains that can be found on top of a McDonald’s
­hamburger bun. His response was to ask whether even 100 tonnes of this seed could be found in Mali?
Key message: banks do not know the sesame sector. We must assist them to understand the sector so
that they can respond positively to requests for finance.”
Soumaïla Coulibaly (PROSEMA), http://goo.gl/nM2BZN
Farmer organizations manage to collect sesame from 11%
­system is cash based, large sums change hands on the basis
and 50% of the producers interviewed in Burkina Faso and
of trust in the sesame collection system.
Mali, respectively (Table 7). They rely partly on the goodwill of
producers to deliver sesame without immediate payment or for
partial payment. Farmers who deliver to cooperatives also get
2.3 Crop Husbandry Practices
other benefits such as training and access to inputs. Sometimes
farmer cooperatives or farmer unions that are a level above
Table 8 gives some indication of the level of intensification of
cooperatives manage to get access to resources to pay their
sesame production in both countries. It becomes clear that
members. They either get the money from buyers or through
pesticides and herbicides are used more frequently in Burkina
a tri-partite deal in which they sign a contract with a buyer and
Faso, while the use of fertilizer and quality seed is much more
use it as a guarantee to obtain credit. Most often, this credit is
common in Mali. In all, the proportion of producers who
not obtained from banks but from (micro-) finance institutes
­regularly use agricultural inputs to optimise their productiv-
with semi-commercial status, who work in collaboration with
ity is growing slowly, which indicates obvious opportunities to
farmer organizations and development projects and programs.
increase yields through further production intensification.
However, most traders are becoming wary of this system, as
the volumes ultimately delivered to them by the cooperatives
Table 8: Fraction of fields where quality seed, herbicides
are below expectation. The farmer organizations often get the
and pesticides are used, Burkina Faso, 2011 and Mali, 2012
resources for sesame collection late, and are thus not able to
Burkina Faso
collect the expected amounts since it has already been sold
Mali
by the producers. Furthermore, farmer organisations often
Fields sown with high quality seed
5%
17%
pay somewhat lower prices since they charge a levy on the
Fields treated with herbicides
27%
<1%
selling price to support their own function. Farmers and farmer
Fields treated with pesticides
15%
0,5%
cooperatives seek the best possible prices, and so only deliver
a part of their production to their cooperative, and sell the rest
Source: DGPER Burkina Faso (données 2011/2012) ;
CPS, Mali (données 2012/2013)
to agents and field collectors. Cooperatives similarly only deliver
part of their crops to the union and seek for an enumerative
Sowing is done manually. Of the producers interviewed,
market themselves for the rest. This leaves farmer unions stuck
very few were still sowing by broadcasting seed, which is the
in a vicious cycle of low volumes and little access to credit.
traditional sowing method. The vast majority (98 and 99%, own
Moreover it is also possible that unions decide not to respect
survey) in Burkina Faso and Mali, respectively, now sow sesame
their contract with the exporter which guaranteed their loan
in rows, which is the recommended practice for commercial
if another buyer offers a better price.
sesame production as it facilitates weeding and harvesting. This
clearly indicates that sesame production is no longer a marginal
Exporters can use their cleaning facilities and infrastructure
side crop, but has become an important cash crop for which
as collateral to get access to some capital. While intermedi-
farmers aim to optimize production.
ate traders largely depend on their own resources to finance
sesame collection, they often combine their own collection
At the same time, the majority of farmers in both Burkina Faso
with that of an exporter with whom they have a direct relation.
(85%) and Mali (79%) do not apply fertilizers to sesame crops.
The exporter finances the collection, and the traders work for
Only roughly one quarter of fields receive some manure, while
a fixed price or a fixed margin. As such the chain is built on
compost is applied on 17% and 11% of fields in Burkina Faso and
­interdependencies between many different actors and the
Mali, respectively (Table 9).
14 | Sesame Sector Development
The perception that sesame does not respond well to fertilizer
The rising demand and the need to diversify supply has resulted
is common among producers and fertilizer availability is, to a
in sharp price increases, making sesame a highly profitable crop
large extent, tied to cotton production. In Burkina Faso, and
for smallholder producers even when productivity is not very
to a somewhat lesser extent in Mali, fertilizers are provided at
high. Moreover, growing sesame can be done with relatively little
a subsidized price within cotton growing contracts, by cotton
inputs. In a normal year, sesame crops require little to no crop
processing companies. Access is dependent on the amount of
protection investments. Even farmers with little else than family
cotton projected to be grown. The availability of fertilizer on
labour and land are able to produce sesame, albeit in a sub-op-
the market is limited, and the price is substantially higher than
timal manner compared to those using fertilizer and high quality
the fertilizer obtained through the cotton system.
seed. Marketing sesame is also easy for producers, specifically
in Burkina Faso. There is a country-wide coverage by sesame
Table 9: Fraction of farmers using fertilizer, manure and
collectors who have field brokers going to farms to buy sesame.
­compost use on sesame fields in Burkina Faso and Mali, 2013
Finally, and very importantly, sesame is paid for upon collection,
which is extremely important for poor farmers who are short
Burkina Faso
Mali
Fertilizer use
15.0%
21.3%
and well established cash crop: farmers often have to wait a
Compost use
16.9%
10.6%
long time before being paid for their cotton production, as the
Manure use
24.9%
24.6%
payment procedures by the cotton societies are bureaucratic.
on cash. This is very different from cotton, the most important
Sesame can be sold piece-meal on the market. Part of the har-
Source : FFS survey, 2013
vest can be kept as savings for about a year and producers can
speculate on rising prices, provided that their first cash needs are
2.4Popularity of sesame as a cash
crop explained
satisfied. As such, entering sesame production is relatively easy,
financially attractive and serves direct cash needs.
As presented above, sesame has become a cash crop of major
importance in a relatively limited period of time in Mali and
2.5 Constraints in Sesame Production
especially in Burkina Faso. There are number of characteristics
to sesame production and its trade that explain why the crop
During the field surveys, producers were asked what they consid-
stormed into the agricultural landscape.
er as the three main constraints which affected their yields from
2010 to 2012. Not surprisingly, in both Burkina Faso and Mali,
First and foremost, the worldwide demand for sesame is in-
the rainfall pattern was identified as the major influencing factor:
creasing. Chinese sesame imports in particular have increased,
poor rainfall was mentioned frequently as having negatively influ-
probably as the result of increasing national consumption which
enced yields. Late planting is also related to the belated onset of
accompanies the gradual rise in household income.
the rainy season. In 2012, many producers’ crops were inundated.
Heavy rain before harvesting which resulted in crops failing and
A second factor is the desire from international buyers to source
sesame seeds dispersing before they could be harvested were
their supply from diversified countries. Although sesame is not
also mentioned. As for constraints which were not weather re-
very perishable, the industry requires year-round supply and
lated, pests were mentioned as a major impediment in Mali, and
re-stocking. Sesame is a crop mainly grown in semi-arid, rainfall
to a lesser extent in Burkina Faso. Thieves were a problem in both
dependent areas where there is a single, and often unreliable,
countries, especially during the drying of sesame bunches in the
rainy season. Buyers need to have a ­supply strategy that takes
field. The high priority of theft as a concern indicates once again
this into account, and purchase sesame from different areas
that sesame has become a cash crop of major importance.
worldwide, where the rainy seasons end at different moments.
The rainy season in the semi-arid areas of Burkina Faso and Mali
Producers trained in the farmer field schools were asked more
ends in late September and sesame can be harvested from the
specifically which crop management practices they considered
end of October to the end of November, making it available on
most important to determine their yields (Table 10). According
the market from the end of November. During this period, in-
to them, weeding, soil fertility management, sesame variety and
ternational buyers have their eyes on this region to ensure their
sowing technique are the main yield determining factors. Pest
supply. Buyers obtaining sesame from West Africa also often
management was mentioned but not prominently. Surprisingly,
purchase some from Southern Africa (Mozambique, ­Zimbabwe),
economic analysis was often mentioned in Mali, indicating that
East Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda), South America,
producers apparently appreciated the training session on eco-
Myanmar and India during the rest of the year.
nomic analysis which was included in the field school curriculum.
2 Sesame Sector Introduction | 15
Table 10: Fraction of Farmer Field School graduates mention-
Roughly the same question was answered by sesame actors in
ing yield influencing practices as constraint in sesame farming
the stakeholder meeting documenting project lessons. They
in Burkina Faso and Mali, 2013
were asked to rank management practices according to their
importance in yield determination. This resulted in the following
Burkina Faso
Mali
prioritisation:
Weeding
24.9%
Compost
28.2%
1 Seed (variety and quality combined)
Fertilizer
21.9%
Economic analysis
19.3%
2 The soil and its preparation
Type of seed
20.6%
Weeding
15.9%
3 Planning : date of sowing and date of harvesting
Sowing technique
13.0%
Type of seed
14.0%
4 Sowing technique
Compost
8.0%
Sowing technique
6.3%
5 Weed management
Manure
7.0%
Harvesting technique
4.7%
6Thinning
Eliminate competing plants
3.0%
Manure
4.0%
7 Manure / compost
Manage pests
1.0%
Eliminate competing plants
2.7%
8Fertilizer
Harvesting technique
0.3%
Shaking technique
2.7%
9 Pest management
Drying technique
0.3%
Fertilizer
1.0%
Shaking technique
0.0%
Drying technique
0.7%
Economic analysis
0.0%
Pest management
0.7%
Source: FFS survey
Farm cleaned sesame, ready for bagging, Mali
16 | Sesame Sector Development
Photo: Mahamane Touré
3Improving Sesame
Productivity
In spite of the enthusiastic adoption by farmers of sesame pro-
Table 11: Fertilizer response of sesame in farmer managed
duction, average yields are still relatively modest. The division
­trials in Burkina Faso, 2013
of yields over productivity fractions (Table 5) shows that there
Kourritenga
is much room for improvement for 46% of farmers in Burkina
Gourma
Yield Additional %
Faso and 60% of farmers in Mali, as they still obtain yields below
(kg/ha)
450 kg per hectare. This chapter outlines the experiences and
Yield Additional %
(kg/ha)
activities implemented during the sesame project to improve
NPK (14:43:14) 75kg
495
70
759
81
productivity. The entry-points on which to focus were identified
Urea 50kg
352
20
584
39
at the onset of the project in consultation with sesame experts
NPK (14:43:14) 75kg +
578
98
750
78
and project implementers, mainly in Burkina Faso, and were
Urea 25kg
considered the best-bet opportunities for productivity increase.
Control
292
-
420
-
Source: Own data, field trials 2013
3.1 Soil fertility management
The trial results show that considerable yield benefits can be
Although sesame is currently recognized by farmers as a com-
obtained by farmers with use of modest amounts of fertilizer.
mercial cash crop, especially in Burkina Faso and increasingly
Good results were obtained from the NPK (14:23:14) applied as
so in Mali, it is widely held that the crop does not require many
a single micro-dose three weeks after emergence. An additional
external inputs. The use of fertilizer in sesame production is
side-dressing of Urea 40 days after plant emergence provided
uncommon (Table 8); the general belief is that sesame can
additional yield benefits in Kourritenga, but not in Gourma. A
grow in less fertile soil and is not very responsive to fertilizers.
side dressing of Urea alone 40 days after emergence clearly
As explained above, sesame can be produced with relatively
provided lesser yield benefits than the NPK treatment.
little rainfall, on poor soils and with limited or even without soil
fertility and pest management measures. Like any other crop
Table 12: Marginal benefit analysis of fertilizer use on sesame
though, it does require nutrients to grow. If soil nutrients are
in Burkina Faso, 2013
limited, crop growth and yield will be affected. Likewise, sesame
NPK 75kg Urea 50kg NPK 75kg
will respond to making available plant nutrients which are
+Urea 25kg
limited in the soil. There are currently no clear fertilizer recommendations for sesame, which is limiting for sesame advisory
Fertilizer cost (FCFA/ha)
30,000
17,000
services in general and for the farmer field school training
Additional labour cost (FCFA/ha)
2,000
2,000
4,000
implemented during this project in particular.
Gross marginal benefit (FCFA/ha)
135,508
55,703
153,867
Net marginal benefit (FCFA/ha)
103,508
36,703
111,367
3.2
1.9
2.6
The project was not in the position to implement large scale
multi-seasonal fertilizer trials. It has however implemented a
number of simple fertilizer trials in Burkina Faso with best-bet
Return on investment (FCFA/FCFA)
38,500
Source: Own data, field trials 2013
dosages of available fertilizers in the country. The trials were
Economic analysis shows that the highest additional net profit
­implemented by farmers who graduated from farmer field
can be obtained through the combined application of 75kg of
schools and were trained earlier in the project. Tests were
NPK and 25kg of Urea, while the return on investment is highest
­carried out in the provinces of Kourritenga and Gourma, in
for a single application of 75kg NPK (Table 12). A return on in-
four locations per province, in two separate farmer fields per
vestment of two times the amount invested can be considered
location, with two repetitions per location, resulting in a total
a good opportunity for a cash-short smallholder producer. With
of 32 result sets, presented in Table 11.
a return on investment of 3.2, modest fertilizer use can safely be
3 Improving Sesame Productivity | 17
recommended to sesame farmers.
­contracts is subsidised and sold at roughly 50% and 35% of
Considering the ease of application, 75kg of NPK (14:23:14) per
the ­normal market price. On top of that, it is purchased on
hectare can be advised throughout the country for the time be-
credit in the cotton scheme. For both maize and rice in Mali,
ing. A blanket advice for fertilizer use is however not ideal. Crop
fertilizer can also be obtained at the same subsidised price, but
response to fertilizer is highly dependent on the soil type; the
paid cash, rather than on credit. There are no such benefits for
longer term use of the field needs to be considered; and recent
sesame. In practice, farmers often use the fertilizer obtained
fertilizer use and crop rotations are major factors in determin-
for cotton production partly or entirely on other crops but this
ing optimal fertilizer use. Taking the time to determine optimal
is doable only for those farmers who are in cotton production
fertilizer use to maximise return on investment for individual
zones. The sesame stakeholders in the capitalisation meeting
farmers would be ideal, but is currently impossible in Burkina
agreed that a lobby is required to ensure that sesame farmers
Faso and Mali. The best possible result from our trials is the
can also benefit from subsidised fertilizer.
“best-bet” advice of 75kg NPK per hectare. With a fertilizer dose
of 75kg NPK per hectare, farmers are fairly sure to get a healthy
Considering the fast growing importance of sesame in Burkina
return on their investment.
Faso and Mali, it should be questioned whether the currently
available fertilizer contains the ideal proportioned mix of mac-
In addition to the use of fertilizer, the use of manure and/or
ro-nutrients for this crop. The current mixture of NPK has been
compost is advised. The first consensus to emerge from project
proportioned specifically for cotton farming in the main cotton
meetings was to recommend a minimum application of 25
zones of the two countries. It could be worthwhile to look into
“charrettes” (donkey cart loads) per hectare of manure or com-
the development of a tailored fertilizer for sesame.
post, or about 5 tonnes. Whether producers can put this advice
into practice is very uncertain though. The benefits of using
organic matter in the form of compost or manure on a sesame
3.2 Seed Quality and Improved Varieties
field was demonstrated to producers through the farmer field
schools, and the percentage of producers using it doubled as
Most farmers in Burkina Faso and Mali obtain their seed for the
a result of the training, but they still represent about only 20%
next seasons from their own plot. As sesame is a cross-pollinat-
of farmers. In addition, the volumes applied are low, invariably
ing species, the genetic composition of the seed is influenced
below the 5 tonnes per hectare which was recommended.
by neighbouring crops. This results in a relatively stable mixture
This is because the availability of both compost and manure is
of genetic characteristics within the sesame population planted.
limited, and by definition, too small to serve all the needs of the
This stable mixture is commonly called “sésame bigarré”, as if
farm. As such, it is hardly necessary, nor is it practical, to provide
it were a specific variety; it is not a variety of sesame as such,
specific advice in regards to the amount required. More precise
but the equilibrium mixture which develops over time when no
recommendations could possibly be of use for commercial
clean seed of a pure variety is used. The composition of this
organic sesame producers, however even in this case it is hardly
bigarré mixture is location-specific, as it depends on the influx
feasible, as the composition and availability of both manure and
of new varieties as well as on farmers’ seed selection practices.
compost is highly variable.
The quality of bigarré sesame is not all that bad, with the exUltimately, the participants in the capitalisation meeting agreed
ports of this sesame as the important proof. However, there are
that the most pragmatic advice that could be given was to
gains to be expected from the use of more pure seed of a single
­apply whatever would be available, and in case of conventional
variety. First, the yields which can be obtained when using clean
sesame production, combine organic materials with the use
seed are expected to be higher. Second, the oil content of a
of chemical fertilizer. The combined application on the same
pure variety could be higher, which is preferred for sesame oil
field is advantageous because the added organic matter helps
processing. Thirdly, the colour and size of the sesame seed are
avoid the leaching of nutrients released from the chemical
influenced, which is also of interest to sesame buyers, espe-
fertilizer and the nitrogen in the chemical fertilizer assists in
cially for the bakery and tahini market segments. Finally, a more
avoiding temporary net consumption of nitrogen by poorly
homogenous field makes harvesting with one or two people
decomposed matter.
easier, resulting in lower labour requirement and reduced losses
as a result of maturity before harvest and poorly filled pods of
The local availability of fertilizer is an important factor that was
pre-mature harvested plants.
brought up during the capitalisation meeting. As mentioned
earlier, the input supply system in both Burkina Faso and Mali
A roundtable on the availability of seed for the sesame sector
is dominated by the needs of the cotton sector. Fertilizer
was organised in both Burkina Faso and Mali. There is a strong
in Burkina Faso and Mali obtained through cotton farming
consensus among sesame seed sector actors that the use of
18 | Sesame Sector Development
high quality seed is essential for intensification of production.
If the average yield increase is used as an indication, the mar-
The use of pure seed is invariably promoted during farmer
ginal net benefit of the use of high quality seed can be calcu-
crop husbandry training. It is assumed that using pure seed
lated (Table 14). The calculation is based on a seed rate of 3kg
has a positive influence on the yield which, according to best
per hectare at a cost of 1500 FCFA per kilogram. During farmer
guesses, is around 25% under farmer conditions. This is not
managed trials, this resulted in an average yield increase of
based on any serious field comparison between bigarré seed
186 kg per hectare, which is worth 93,000 FCFA (assuming a
and pure seed of a known suitable variety though; to improve
price of 500 FCFA/kilo, which is a conservative estimate com-
the agricultural extension message, it would be useful to know
pared to the prices reported in 2013). This means that for each
what difference can be expected from regular investment in
investment of a single FCFA in high quality seed, it is possible to
high quality pure seed. This knowledge would allow farmers
obtain a return on investment of 19 FCFA. Profitable indeed!
to make better informed choices when deciding to invest in
high quality seed or not, and it would allow training programs
Table 14: Marginal net benefit of the use of high quality pure
to ­include a calculation of the potential benefits of high quality
sesame seed, Burkina Faso, 2013
pure seed in their training programs.
Additional costs (FCFA/ha)
4,500
In Burkina Faso, purposely designed trial fields were planted to
Additional yield (kg/ha)
compare high quality pure seed with local mixed farmer-saved
Additional gross revenue (FCFA/ha)
93,000
seed, usually sown by producers. The trials were implemented
Additional net revenue (FCFA/ha)
88,500
by farmer field school graduates, trained earlier in the project.
Return on investment (FCFA/FCFA)
The tests were carried out in two provinces, Kourritenga and
Gourma, in four locations per province, in two separate farmer
186
19
Source: Own data, field trials 2013
fields per location, with two repetitions per location, resulting in
a total of 32 plots.
The many advantages of the use of high quality seed were
­discussed in the capitalisation meeting. In the first place, a
The yield difference between local seed and high quality seed
reliable germination rate was deemed very important. Poor
was very important, with an average 45% extra yield when using
­germination may lead to a thin crop cover, and hence yield
high quality seed compared to locally recycled seed (Table 13).
loss, or even the need to re-sow, which can have major
This depended a lot on location though: in Gourma province, a
­consequences with regard to timing of the crop with the rains.
modest average yield increase of 12% was recorded, while yields
Second, the yield potential of pure varieties, rather than mixed
in Kourritenga more than doubled.
re-used seed, is considerably higher.
The difference between the two provinces could be explained by
Another important advantage of pure varieties is that they are
the history of sesame production in both areas. In Kourritenga,
preferred by exporters for specific uses. The bigarré sesame is
sesame production dates back much further and farmers have
suitable for the oil market but for the Tahini and bakery market,
become accustomed to re-using their own seed. In Gourma,
more or less homogenously white sesame is required, which
sesame production has recently become an important eco-
in Mali and Burkina can only be obtained from fields sown
nomic activity and the use of quality seed has been promoted
with pure seed of an improved variety. For the Tahini market
in the context of initiatives that recently intervened in the
a homogenous grain size is required for the transformation
­province. Farmers are relatively well organised to assure access
process during which the grains are heated: when seeds are of
to quality seed. The regular influx of quality seed and higher
heterogeneous size, the smaller grains will overheat or burn,
seed renewal rates, has a positive impact on the general quality
resulting in undesirable effects on the taste of the sesame paste.
of recycled (bigarré) seed in the Gourma province.
Although there is no outright premium for white sesame compared to bigarré sesame sold at the farm gate, it gives producers
Table 13: Yield difference between pure seed of a single
or intermediate collectors a better bargaining position if they
­variety and bigarré seed of sesame, Burkina Faso, 2013 (kg/ha)
are able to bulk significant quantities of pure white sesame,
and slightly higher prices can be obtained.
Local seed
Certified
Difference
Difference
seed
(kg)
(%)
A final advantage of pure seed compared to bigarré seed is
Kourittenga
262
564
302
115
that the crop grows and matures homogenously. This allows
Gourma
565
634
70
12
for well-timed management, and most importantly, it allows
Average
413
599
186
45
harvesting of the entire crop in one go, as all grains mature
at the same time. A homogenous crop also results in a product
Source: Own data, field trials 2013
3 Improving Sesame Productivity | 19
of homogenous quality. Early matured seeds drop when
Currently, good quality seed is being produced by two types
harvested and are lost, immature seeds have not yet optimally
of multipliers:
filled. During the capitalisation workshop, it was mentioned that,
1Farmer organizations: Within farmer organizations, there are
when comparing a bag of pure sesame with bigarré sesame
designated farmers who multiply seed from (pre)basic seed
in one of the farmer groups supported by SERACOM, a col-
purchased from the national research. The principal, and
laborating local NGO, it was observed that the same volume
sometimes only, preoccupation of this multiplication is to
of sesame from high quality seed weighed significantly more
satisfy the demand for good quality seed within the farmer
than of bigarré sesame, which may be explained by the inclu-
organization. Surplus seed can be marketed in the vicinity of
sion of seeds of different maturity in the latter. This observation
the cooperative to non-member sesame producers. Little
was confirmed by the representative of the farmer federation
profit incentives are put in place for the seed multipliers to
Guireyawees, from Mali.
produce beyond the own organization’s need and supply
non-members on a commercial basis. Still, seed multipliers
It can be concluded that seed quality plays an important role
emerging within producer organizations could be stimulated
in determining yields. Timely access to quality seed is key for
to professionalise into commercial multipliers and contribute
farmers to improve their yields substantially with a high return
to the improved availability of high quality seed. Currently
on investment, as well as providing them with a number of
most of the seed produced by farmer organizations does
advantages including uniform maturing of the crop and high
appreciation from the market. The problem, once again, is that
access to quality seed is currently limited.
not get certified.
2Commercial seed multipliers: There are commercial seed
multipliers who produce sesame seed for a profit in both
countries; they mostly aim for certification of their seed. In
The current replacement rates of seed remain low in both
Burkina Faso, these seed multipliers try to get on the radar of
countries. Over 50% of farmers routinely recycle their own seed
the national seed subsidy system, through which the govern-
in Burkina Faso, and 40% in Mali. They are not in the habit of
ment buys and distributes seed to farmers. What is lacking
ever purchasing seed, unless they have lost their entire crop
is a well-functioning commercial distribution system which
due to drought or flooding. Farmers who recycle their seed
would bring high quality seeds to local markets.
periodically tend to do so more frequently in Burkina Faso than
in Mali (Figure 6).
Similar to fertilizer, there is a lack of a fine-meshed commercial
distribution system of seeds, which would reach farmers at
Figure 6: Sesame seed renewal periods (years) in Burkina Faso
the village level. Only cotton related inputs are well available in
and Mali (% of sesame farmers), 2013
the countryside, and only in areas where cotton is produced.
Currently the most important distribution channel is through
60%
development programs and projects. For example, the farmer
field schools of this project are a channel by which seed
50%
reached farmers, so they could plant their demonstration plots.
Still, about 15% of the producers interviewed indicated that they
40%
obtained seed from an input shop (Figure 7). Farmer groups
30%
were an important source of sesame seed. Surprisingly the proportion of farmers who indicated having obtained seed through
20%
the Ministry of Agriculture was below 5%, indicating that public
seed subsidy schemes are not a very important seed source.
10%
The supply of seeds (and other inputs) to producers by exporters
0%
Never
1
2
3
4
5+
is often seen as an ideal scenario, following the cotton example
of chain integration. In the case of sesame however, it may not
Burkina Faso
Source FFS survey, 2013
Mali
be a durable long term solution. In Burkina Faso, all efforts by
exporters to provide producers with credit, to be recuperated
upon collection of the sesame, have failed. During the short
intensive collection period, there is a strong price competition
between buyers and farmers sell to the highest bidder instead
of to the buyer who provided inputs for free or on credit. Farmer
organizations who provide inputs to their members on the same
principle of recovering the costs thanks to a levy applied on
20 | Sesame Sector Development
Figure 7: Source of seed indicated by producers interviewed to assess the farmer field school impact
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
Burkina Faso
Mali
er
ga
ni
O
th
za
tio
n
t
ry
ag
en
Fa
rm
er
M
or
in
is t
O
N
G
te
Ex
ag
en
t
io
n
ns
ut
io
n
FF
S
/R
es
tit
st
in
h
rc
ea
Re
s
Source: FFS survey, 2013
itu
te
r
pl
ul
ti
m
Se
e
d
pu
ts
In
ie
ho
p
ou
r
gh
b
N
ei
O
w
n
fie
ld
0%
the sesame collected and sold collectively suffer from the
quality than for profitability of the purchase transaction for both
same constraint. It was argued in the capitalisation meeting
the individual seller and buyer. This resulted in the large scale
that “contracts need to be enforced”, however there are too
purchase of sub-standard sesame seed, often consumption
many examples of contract enforcement failures that prove
sesame quickly sorted for colour, rather than multiplied from
the impracticality of doing so. Ultimately, buyers have little lever-
pure parent lines. Serious commercial seed multipliers could
age over producers other than the reciprocal understanding
obviously not compete with the margins that could be made on
that honouring contracts results in a longer term seller-buyer
turning consumption sesame into “seed”, and would not be able
relationship. In the current highly competitive sellers’ market,
to offer the same “benefits” to ensure contracts for seed supply
contract farming will remain a risky endeavour for buyers.
to the system. This “seed” was distributed to producers at a price
below the cost-price of consumption sesame but farmers who
The solution to improve the availability of high quality seed for
used the seed were hugely disappointed, as the seed was often
commercial sesame production does not lie in subsidised seed
of poor quality. It was mentioned that as a result, there are now
distribution, not by exporters, nor by farmer organizations or
farmers in Burkina Faso who distinguish two types of sesame
development programs or projects or government schemes.
seed: “government seed”, which is known for its lack of quality
Subsidies imply that less than the cost price of production and
and, if purchased at a subsidised price, best sold directly to the
distribution of sesame seed is paid by the end user, the com-
consumption sesame market, and “quality seed”, which comes
mercial sesame farmer. It was also calculated above that the
from more reliable sources, and can be used for planting.
use of high quality sesame seed is highly profitable for the same
individual commercial farmer. To ensure the durability of the
Rather than investing efforts in subsidised seed supply to
sesame seed system, producers need to pay a realistic price
producers, it would be better to invest in the development of
which includes a profit margin for specialised seed multipliers
a functional commercial seed multiplication and distribution
and distributors. Considering the extremely positive return
system. A first necessity that has been identified on several
on investment in high quality seed, this would provide an
occasions is the improvement of the supply of (pre-)basic seed
­economically sustainable basis for sesame seed business.
by research institutes. An important first improvement is the
pre-ordering of (pre-)basic seed one year ahead by commercial
Outright distribution of subsidised sesame seed can even easily
seed multipliers, to allow the research organizations mandated
have a major disrupting effect on the emerging commercial
with (pre-)basic seed production to respond to the demand.
sesame seed multiplication industry. The discussions dur-
In both countries, the seed units of research organizations can
ing a specific workshop on sesame seed system opportunities
recover the costs of their (pre-)basic seed production through
and constraints provide a telling illustration, which was once
sales. The resource flow within INERA, the Research Institute
more confirmed during the capitalisation workshop. Through a
in Burkina Faso with the mandate to produce (pre-)basic seed,
government run subsidy scheme in Burkina Faso, sesame seed
could be optimised further by allowing it to have a revolving
was purchased for subsidised distribution to sesame farmers:
fund for (sesame) seed multiplication, rather than having the
large quantities of seed were purchased with less regard for
resource flow integrated in the general INERA budget.
3 Improving Sesame Productivity | 21
Hand cleaning of sesame, Mali
Photo: Mahamane Touré
Moreover, it could be reconsidered whether (pre-)basic seed
­assessment in Burkina Faso as well as during the capitalisation
production and distribution is best assured through the current
meeting, this is not the most important difficulty, as the
exclusive production by the public research institutes INERA
­potential profit margins on certified sesame seed dwarf the
and IER in Burkina Faso and Mali, respectively. A pilot program
costs of the certification process. What is more problematic
in which proven professional private seed multipliers obtain a
is the delayed field inspections and the long period before
licence to maintain and reproduce seed from their own seed
­laboratory results are known and officially communicated.
stock, under control by the seed inspection, could be consid-
For production and distribution within producer organizations,
ered. This could assist in improving the reliability of supply of
seed certification has little added advantage and is hardly asked
(pre-)basic seed, and reduce the dependence of commercial
for. Once multipliers within producer organizations start selling
seed enterprises on public research organizations’ ability to pro-
and distributing outside their own membership and become
duce (pre-)basic seed timely and of adequate quantity.
professionalized, an efficient independent seed inspection
and certification service becomes an added value.
Another opportunity for improvement of the high quality
­sesame seed chain is the investment in promotion of commer-
It can be concluded beyond any doubt that the use of high
cial seed multiplication. In both countries, there are multipliers
quality sesame seed is a highly profitable investment for pro-
who largely market seeds in their own vicinity, as well as emerg-
ducers. The return on investment is estimated at 3,400% and is
ing seed traders who make a profit from buying high quality
a golden opportunity to invest limited cash resources. Not mak-
seed wholesale and reselling it in smaller quantities. This is a
ing the regular modest investment in 2 to 3 kilograms of quality
promising development which could be encouraged further
seed, costing an estimated 4,500 FCFA per hectare, means
to improve the availability of affordable high quality seed.
investing land and labour in a highly sub-optimal manner. Those
farmers having severe cash flow problems could consider only
In order to encourage the development of commercial seed
buying seed for 10% or 20% of their needs every year, and plant
multiplication and the distribution of high quality sesame seed,
the rest of their sesame field(s) with second generation seed,
a rationalisation and professionalization of independent seed
as long as they keep replacing a part of their seed-stock every
quality control and certification services is necessary in both
season. The yield benefit of high quality pure seed is expected
countries. Although the cost of the certification service was
to have a spill-over effect in the second season, when the seed
­often mentioned as a major constraint in the seed system
produced in a farmer’s crop will not be as contaminated with
22 | Sesame Sector Development
pollen from neighbouring fields. However, considering the
Table 15: Sowing technique used by fraction of sesame
­extreme profitability of using high quality seed, it is probably
­farmers in Burkina Faso and Mali, 2013
best to recommend buying high quality seed routinely.
Sowing technique
Given this extreme profitability, it can be concluded that there is
Broadcasting
a strong basis for the building of a thriving commercial sesame
On lines, manually
seed business. To avoid harming the emerging sesame seed
On lines, sowing machine
entrepreneurship, seed price subsidies in its different forms
are to be avoided. A clear price differentiation between high
Burkina Faso
Mali
1.0%
1.7%
99.0%
37.2%
0.0%
61.1%
Source: FFS survey, 2013
quality sesame seed and sesame for the consumption market
is required to ensure a profit incentive for commercial seed
The stark difference between Burkina Faso and Mali triggers the
producers and distributors. In light of the demonstrated impor-
question whether it is worth promoting sowing by machine in
tance of good quality seed for commercial sesame production,
Burkina Faso. An analysis of the costs and benefits of sowing by
support to commercial seed multipliers to ensure the local
machine was conducted in Mali, where sowing by machine was
availability of high quality seed is worthwhile.
also tested by a farmer field school (Table 16).
The sesame sector project could only pay marginal attention
Using a sowing machine results in an estimated labour saving
to improving the availability of quality seed. A more targeted
of about 6 days per hectare, and a cost saving of 3,417 FCFA per
effort, with more resources, would be required to make a bigger
hectare. A sowing machine does require a one-off investment
difference in the availability of quality seed for sesame farm-
of 50,000 FCFA. Furthermore, it should be considered that most
ers. Such an effort should also include resources for selection,
of the labour used for sowing sesame comes from family labour
comparison trials and dissemination of more improved varieties
rather than hired labour. Even if the sowing machine could be
with high yields and traits wanted in the market.
hired together with the oxen and plough, a large proportion of
producers would still prefer to continue using family labour for
manual sowing.
3.3 Sesame Sowing Technique
Poor availability of labour is one of the main reasons why
The traditional sowing technique of sesame was to broadcast
sesame often gets sown later than optimal. Especially with
seeds on small plots of prepared soil, after all other fields were
increasingly less reliable rainfall and the scarcity of casual labour
planted. Currently, commercial sesame producers are advised
however, the mechanisation of sowing could be a technology
to sow sesame in rows, as this facilitates crop husbandry prac-
worth promoting. It would, in that case, be more promising to
tices which are essential for yield optimisation, such as weeding
promote the development of service provision than the pos-
and thinning.
session of sowing machines by individual farmers. In addition,
sowing machines have proven to be especially useful in Mali’s
The farmer field school survey shows that there remain very few
cotton growing areas, so the first areas in which to promote
producers who broadcast sesame; the vast majority of produc-
its use in Burkina Faso could also be cotton growing zones.
ers interviewed indicated to sow on lines. All farmers in Burkina
Promoting the use of sowing machines to improve the timing
Faso were hand-sowing, while in Mali over 60% of producers
of planting should not only be focussed on cotton, but on all
interviewed said they used a sowing machine (Table 15).
crops simultaneously. In that regard, the (semi) mechanisation
of land preparation may also be promoted in the same effort.
Table 16: Manual sesame sowing compared to machine sowing, Mali, 2013
Sowing machine
Manual
Cost
Qty
Total
Qty
Total
Oxen and plough
6000 FCFC/day
0.33
2000
0
0
Seed
1250 FCFA/kg
3
3750
2
2500
Casual labour
1000 FCFA/day
0.33
333
5
5000
Casual labour weeding, thinning and gap-filling
1000 FCFA/day
1
1000
3
3000
Total costs
FCFA/ha
7083
10 500
3 Improving Sesame Productivity | 23
The sowing machines have not yet been adapted perfectly for
tions intervening in the sesame sector. Five hundred copies
sesame. Some further testing and adapting of the size of the
were distributed in Mali, where the document was also trans-
holes in the sowing disc is required. The mixing of seed with
lated into Bambara.
fertilizer in the drum for combined application also requires
further adaptation.
The projects’ initial target was to train 1500 sesame farmers in
good crop husbandry. In the end however, the project managed, together with the alliance of field based partners that was
3.4 Farmer Field Schools
built, to train 12,782 farmers in three seasons, of which 35%
were women. The farmer field school training was implemented
The sesame project had, at its start, identified productivity
by a total of 188 farmer field school facilitators, who were also
increase as a major opportunity to further develop the sesame
trained during the project.
sector. Prices had been rising already for a number of years,
and demand was still higher than the supply. There was the
The farmer field schools evolved around demonstration plots
sense that many producers were still growing sesame in a
in which current farmer practices were compared with the
sub-optimal manner, in spite of the many efforts already made
proposed improved practices. The proposed improved practices
by different organizations to improve their knowledge of good
increased yields by an average of 62% and 28% in Burkina Faso
farming practices.
and Mali, respectively (Table 17). The main differences between
common farmer practices and improved practices are the ap-
As the project was not carried out in laboratory conditions, and
since a lot of sesame sector training had already been provided,
a pluralistic approach geared towards improving sesame advisory services was chosen. The project made it its objective to
develop a training methodology which would be of use to the
sesame sector at large, rather than the project alone. The project aimed to bring together the existing experience on sesame
sector development, especially in Burkina Faso.
All organizations with proven experience in sesame production
training were invited to participate in the development of a
training method; the chosen approach was farmer field schools.
The Ministries of Agriculture in both Burkina Faso and Mali
already had experience with farmer field schools for other crops
through their Integrated Pest Management programs, held in
collaboration with the FAO and other partners. The farmer field
school method centres farmer group training around a farmer
managed demonstration field, which forms the ‘classroom’ for
season-long training.
During a three day working session, representatives from
12 organizations (NGOs, farmer organizations, a private
­company, and public bodies) from Burkina Faso developed
the first draft set-up of the season-long sesame farmer field
school. Unfortunately, sesame experts from Mali could not
participate, the country was in the midst of civil unrest and
travel was impossible. The first set-up prepared in the meeting
was developed into a full curriculum for training groups of
sesame farmers and used in the field by sesame trainers for a
first season; the trainers themselves went through training on
how to deliver the curriculum. The curriculum was adapted
based on the first season experiences and published (KIT et al.,
2012). Not only was it used for the project itself, but a total of
1,500 copies were distributed within Burkina Faso to organizaSesame farmer field school in process, Mali
24 | Sesame Sector Development
plication of modest amounts of fertilizer, sowing fewer seeds
by default. Secondly, there were farmer groups in which the con-
per pocket, thinning of plants to two stems per planting hole,
cept of abiding by the status quo for the simple sake of compari-
and harvesting at the appropriate time.
son was hard to swallow, as they were easily convinced that the
proposed improved practices would result in higher yields.
Table 17: Difference in yield between current farmer practice
and improved practices in Farmer Field Schools in Burkina
Involving many different organizations in the development
Faso and Mali, 2010-2013 (kg/ha)
and implementation of the farmer field schools on good
sesame crop husbandry is a strategy that continues to pay
Burkina Faso
Mali
off. In Burkina Faso, the Ministry of Agriculture is continuing
FFS, farmer practice
411
364
to ­implement more farmer field schools and so are farmer
FFS, improved practice
667
465
organizations. Similarly, in Mali, the methodology is used in an
62
28
adapted manner in collaboration between large sesame buyers
% increase FFS
and farmer organizations. Furthermore, the new Integrated
Pest Management program of the Ministry of Agriculture is
The actual difference in yield between current farmer practice
contemplating continuing to train farmer groups using the
and improved practice could well be even higher. In the first
methodology. Copies of the printed and electronic document
place, both plots had been sown with good quality seed, while
have been shared with sesame sector intervention actors in
common farmer practices do not include the use of quality seed
Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Photo: Mahamane Touré
3 Improving Sesame Productivity | 25
For additional efforts in training sesame producers, more care
needs to be taken to reach those producers who have not
yet received training, whether it be because they are poorly
organised, live in areas where few organizations intervene, or
because they do not belong to a farmer group. In the assessment of the farmer field school implementation, it became clear
that a proportion of the farmers trained through the farmer
field schools had already received other types of training. The
challenge is not only to increase the number of farmer group
trainings carried out, but also to ensure that producers who
do not already practise relatively efficient farming practices are
reached. The sesame crop husbandry knowledge of farmers in
Burkina Faso is generally higher than in Mali and is reflected in
the average yields. But in Mali and Burkina Faso alike, there are
strong differences between areas with regard to professionalism
in the sector. Future programs will do well to target those areas,
as well as producers not yet exposed to intensive training.
A well managed healthy sesame plant
with a large number of capsules, Mali
Photo: Mahamane Touré
26 | Sesame Sector Development
4Enhancing Sesame
Value Addition
Sesame from Burkina Faso and Mali is currently exported as
such as saving seed or ensuring collective land preparation,
crude bulk product, without any value addition domestically.
or a joint economic activity. Only a proportion of the sesame
Although this is currently highly profitable, it would be good
producers are members of a farmer group with the specific
to look into options to increase the export price of sesame in
­objective of collective sesame marketing, more so in Mali than
order to increase the contribution of the sesame sector to the
in Burkina Faso. Ultimately however, whether they are coopera-
national gross domestic product of both countries.
tive members or not, farmers are opportunistic when selecting
their clients. Also, cooperative members more often than not
opt to sell part of their yield through channels other than the
4.1Collaboration for an Innovative
Sesame Sector
collective marketing channel.
There have been initiatives in both countries to bring economic
International competitiveness is essential for Mali and Burkina
actors together under an “interprofession”, following the model
Faso, as virtually all sesame produced is exported. It is not only
of the cotton sector. These continuing processes have yet to
essential to maintain the status quo of the sectors, the countries
contribute significantly to sesame sector development. One
should also be able to respond to changes in the international
of the major issues is representation, especially of farmers. It
market. This requires innovation, for which collaboration between
is always difficult for all actors to find interest in processes of
different sesame sector stakeholders is an important tool.
multi-stakeholder interaction. Typically, it is difficult to interest
the private sector and exporters in such initiatives, although
The sesame sector in Burkina Faso, and to a lesser extent in
they are very important actors. The multiple meetings and
Mali, are characterised by fierce competition between buyers.
­“concertations” are often seen as a loss of business time.
Similarly, sesame producers and their organizations are often
­Additionally, although all actors share a common global objec-
seen as the opposing party to collectors and exporters, and
tive, their shorter term goals may well be different and oppos-
they often are in terms of business negotiations. At the same
ing. Another issue is that opportunist individuals can join the
time, a well-functioning sector is in the interest of everyone.
process in the hope of making quick wins instead of working
As sesame is a fast growing economic opportunity which can
towards sector development. They are difficult to avoid, to deal
contribute much to rural development, all types of development
with, and they slow down the initiative. Finally, the processes
organizations are intervening to facilitate development. Finally,
instigated in Mali and Burkina Faso were highly formalistic, with
government bodies play numerous roles in sector development,
the static aim of creating an “interprofession” of a pre-deter-
including regulation, research, seed production, agricultural
mined set-up. Too much time was spent on procedures and
­extension, and sometimes even in direct trade. Coordination
formal recognition, taking the focus from interventions on the
and interaction between economic actors, support services
ground. While formalisation of such processes may be required
and policy makers can contribute to sector performance.
in the long run, it may not be necessary to put too much time
in it from the start, but rather look for formalisation later when
The current organization of the sesame sector in both countries
actions on the ground are taking place which bring actors
shows broad similarities. There is the producer side, in which
together and build trust among them.
a fraction of the farmers are organised in groups at the grassroots level, a small proportion of which are connected to a
The question now is which initiative will bring all the interven-
larger sesame producer association or cooperative. These
tions and stakeholders together and under which form? Clearly,
­cooperatives are, especially in Mali, often united in sesame
aiming to reproduce the cotton sector model has not worked in
farmer unions. The vast majority of farmers are members of
either country. Where in the cotton sector there is a very strong
some sort of grassroots group, which has its base in the cus-
convening power of the processing industry, the sesame sector
tomary organization at village level, or has a specific objective
has many different competing players who will never muster
4 Enhancing Sesame Value Addition | 27
the same amount of leverage over the actors in the sector. As
after harvesting, above the contractually fixed prices for
such, it is not likely that a rigid organization like that in the cot-
organic sesame, this problem will remain and investment in
ton sector is possible. It should even be questioned whether this
organic sesame production, certification and marketing are
is desirable, since it could stifle competition, which is currently
not remunerative. A better understanding of the contrac-
one of the driving forces behind sesame sector development.
tual arrangements in the organic sesame market is necessary, and opportunities for more pricing flexibility in supply
Parallel efforts to bring actors together are not helpful and will
contracts with importers needs to be explored to allow for
lead to more division in the sector. Revitalising the stalled efforts
a proper response to the annual recurring price fluctua-
to form “interprofessions” and build lighter innovation platforms
tions that c
­ haracterise the sesame supply chain. Under the
is one of the possibilities. The platform could unite interested
current ­conditions, organic sesame collection in Burkina
stakeholders, including development organizations. Together,
Faso and Mali is an enterprise with higher risks and lower
they could define objectives and analyse the key opportunities
profit margins than conventional sesame. Also, the additional
and constraints, an action plan could be developed and actions
­efforts required from farmers to obtain organic certification
taken. It is important to link with grassroots actors and include
are currently not adequately compensated by a reliable price
producer organizations and federations, but also ensure the
premium compared to conventional sesame.
representation of the wider farming community. It is essential
to initiate and implement collaborative action and build on the
existing collaborative structures which have developed organi-
4.3 Sesame Oil
cally, rather than blindly aim for an “interprofession”.
Sesame from Burkina Faso and Mali is used for the production
of three different products: tahini (sesame paste), white large
4.2 Organic Sesame
hulled sesame seeds for bakery applications, and sesame
oil. On the basis of information gathered from exporters and
Certified organic sesame production is a niche product in
buyers, we can conclude that the bulk of the sesame pur-
Burkina Faso, however, its export is currently facing difficul-
chased from Burkina Faso and Mali is used for the production
ties. As a result of the high fluctuation in sesame prices in the
of sesame oil. Currently, sesame is almost invariably exported
conventional market, much of the organically certified sesame
as crudely cleaned bulk product. The local production of
“leaks” away into the conventional sesame market. Organic
sesame oil could possibly increase the export value of the
sesame producers, like any other producer, seek to optimize
product and thus contribute to a higher domestic revenue
their profits. If the price offered by collectors for conven-
from the sesame sector.
tional sesame is higher than the contractually agreed price
for organically certified produce, farmers are inclined to sell
An added advantage of sesame oil production would be
to the conventional buyer. The organic buyer will, as a result,
the reduction of export ban scares resulting from produce
be faced with a shortage of organically certified sesame. This
­contamination by micro-organisms, most notably salmonella.
makes contractual exporting arrangements for organic ses-
The production circumstances in sesame production areas
ame risky, the chances that organic sesame exporters will be
are such that there is a continuous risk of low level salmonella
unable to respect their contracts are high, as the supply is very
­contamination of bulk sesame lots. When sesame is processed
insecure. In Mali, a union of organic sesame producers has
into sesame oil these contaminations are filtered out and
stopped opting for certification and one exporter has indicat-
­additional disinfection is easy to apply if required.
ed no longer accepting orders for organic sesame because of
the supply risks. The single largest exporter of organic sesame
Sesame oil is currently produced in both Burkina Faso and Mali
from Burkina Faso also indicated facing increasing difficulties
on a minor scale, to serve small local and foreign niche markets.
to satisfy his demand and continue to service his clients. The
Overall however, the volume of sesame processed into oil is
only possible strategy to ensure access to the organic product
negligible and domestic consumption of sesame oil is largely
is to build strong relations with producer groups and have the
non-existent in the two countries. A market and consumer
financial resources available immediately after harvest time to
study was carried out in Mali to assess the opportunities for
beat the other collectors to it. But the availability of working
sesame oil in-country. The main sources of oil used in Mali,
capital is a problem.
with ranking according to price are:
•Shea-butter, locally produced and sold in both bulk and
The price of organic sesame is often regulated by longer
term contracts than non-organic sesame. As long as the
prices in the conventional market continue to rise quickly
28 | Sesame Sector Development
retail in different forms in all types of markets and shops.
It is used for the dual purpose of skin care and cooking;
•Cotton seed oil, produced in-country;
•Unrefined palm oil, informal and not branded, from
4.4 Pure and White Sesame
Ivory Coast and Ghana;
•Refined palm oil, originating from Ivory Coast;
A simple form of value addition would be to export sesame of
•Palm oil, imported from Malaysia;
a higher grade of purity. The question is whether it would be
•Maize and soy oil, imported;
worth to invest in more advanced in-country cleaning capaci-
•Sunflower, olive, peanut and sesame oil.
ties. A market study was conducted to assess the sales potential
of sesame cleaned to consumption-ready standards through
Sesame oil is in the most expensive bracket, and has a very
telephone interviews with potential buyers in Europe and Asia.
small market share in the country. The consumer study indi-
From the interviews, it was learned that several grades of purity
cated that the characteristics of the sesame oil produced in
are distinguished in the industry.
Mali were much appreciated, and are as such acceptable for
Malian consumers.
A second related opportunity for value addition is to focus
on pure white sesame, rather than mixed colour sesame. The
To become a mainstream product in Mali however, the retail
industry crudely distinguishes three types of sesame: white
price would need approach that of imported palm oil, which is
sesame seeds for bakeries and tahini, black sesame seeds for
around 800 FCFA per litre. Currently, the price of sesame oil is
oil, and mixed colour sesame seeds for oil production. White
much higher, around 2,000 FCFA per litre. A litre of oil can be
sesame being the most valuable type, sesame importers are
extracted from roughly 2.25kg of crude sesame. With a mini-
requesting white sesame for the bakery and confectionary
mum sesame price of around 350 FCFA per kilo which could
industry from Burkina Faso and Mali, as well as for the produc-
theoretically be obtained when buying sesame from produc-
tion of tahini. The question is whether profit margins for sesame
ers shortly after they harvest, this means that the price of the
from the two countries can be increased by focussing on white
sesame required to make one litre of oil is at least 787 FCFA.
sesame production rather than mixed colour sesame.
The price of the raw material alone ensures that sesame oil
cannot be sold for the same retail price as imported palm oil.
Burkina Faso and Mali are largely known for their exports of
As such, considering current crude sesame prices, it is unlikely
crudely cleaned mixed colour sesame. This sesame is largely
that sesame oil will become a mainstream oil product used in
intended for the production of sesame oil, for which the colour
Mali. Still, consumers who tested the product indicated that
does not matter too much. Some sesame is being collected
a price of 1200-1300 FCFA could be low enough for them
as ‘white’ sesame. The sesame from Burkina Faso and Mali is
to consider using sesame oil occasionally. This means that a
appreciated for its taste more than for its uniform colour, grain
modest market share might be gained if sesame oil could be
size, oil content or purity (being free from foreign matter).
produced in Mali in an efficient manner, and if a supply system
that ensures sesame is acquired at a price of around 300-400
4.4.1
FCFA is developed. In addition the valorisation of the seedcake
For the bakery and confectionary use of sesame, large grain
Pure White Sesame
as animal feed can contribute to making sesame oil a profit-
pure white sesame is required. White sesame is also demanded
able business case. To produce sesame oil for export, possibly
for tahini production, but there is apparently slightly more
at a slightly higher price, can be anticipated, especially when
­tolerance towards colour.
contracts can be secured with larger buyers.
The current variety most suitable to respond to the market
There is currently however one major constraint to the devel-
demand for homogeneously white sesame is S42, which was
opment of sesame processing in Mali. The export prices for
selected in Burkina Faso, but is also grown in Mali. S42 provides
crude sesame from Burkina Faso and Mali are so rewarding
sesame of a more homogenous white colour than the default
that a better profit can be made by collecting, stocking and
crops planted with seeds from unknown origins. According to
exporting seed, than by oil processing. An entrepreneur who
sesame traders in Burkina Faso, this variety is ‘acceptable’ but
is able to buy early in the season may be able to obtain sesame
not ‘excellent’ in the international market for confectionary and
at 400 FCFA per kilo in Mali. This has already become difficult
bakeries, as it is not 100% white and the grain size is a bit small
in Burkina Faso. All sesame obtained can be profitably exported,
compared to the white sesame of Ethiopian origin, which sets
which is a business with a much lower risk and little investment
the international standard for white sesame.
required, and with a well-established demand. As long as prices
do not stabilise as result of a diminishing demand or an increase
Pure white sesame is mainly consumed in Europe and the
in world production, and demand for crude sesame from
­United States. Burkina Faso and Mali are not major suppliers
Burkina Faso and Mali remains very high, there is little reason
of pure white sesame. On the basis of interviews with export-
for an entrepreneur to invest in processing facilities.
ers and buyers, it has become apparent that the prices of
4 Enhancing Sesame Value Addition | 29
white ­sesame from different countries are difficult to compare.
their seed. Still, the sesame collected often falls below the purity
­So-called white sesame from West-Africa is much more yellow
demanded by the confectionary and bakery market. Sesame
than white sesame from East Africa and its grain size is smaller.
from different lots is easily combined by intermediate traders,
White sesame from West-Africa is considered of lower qual-
thus mixing sesame from better lots with more homogenous
ity than the white sesame from other parts of the world. This
white colour with lots which are mixed in colour.
explains why white sesame from Ethiopia fetches a higher
price (Table 18).
Companies which tried to improve the white colour homogeneity by providing producers with high quality seed and offering
Table 18: Sesame prices per country of origin
a buy-back contract to secure supply had to discontinue this
(CNF Shanghai / Taichung), 2012
practice. They had difficulties recuperating the investments
made in seed distribution from the supplied sesame, as farmers
Country
Ethiopia
Nigeria
Burkina Faso
South
were only partially respecting their contracts and were selling to
America
the highest bidder.
Price
1480 USD/MT 1320 USD/MT 1320 USD/MT 1420 USD/MT
White
Very white,
White,
White,
colour
first grade
fourth grade
second grade third grade
White,
Source: Taiwanese buyer
It is technically possible to obtain a more homogenous white
sesame by colour sorting. The equipment required is a Sortex,
an optical sorting machine which can sort-out both offcoloured grains and foreign matter, particle by particle. When
From the discussions with buyers, it emerged that there are no
sending samples of mixed (bigarré) sesame and S42 to suppliers
strong price differences between lots of sesame from the same
of Sortex machines, it became clear that mixed sesame cannot
country. Prices are largely established per origin, and there is
be separated in white and dark sesame easily, as the product is
limited differentiation for colour categories. A Taiwanese buyer
too heterogeneous. The colour differences are too important
was able to provide some insight into the price differences for
and high performing machines would be required to run several
different categories of sesame, and a price difference of no
rounds of sorting to arrive at the desired result. Sesame of S42
more than 2% between white and mixed sesame of 99% purity
however also often contains coloured seeds, but its homoge-
grade emerged.
neity can be improved through a Sortex machine. The added
advantage of using a Sortex is that also foreign particles of the
The picture described by sesame exporters in Burkina Faso
same size and weight as sesame seeds, which are difficult to
and Mali is the same, they indicate having demand for white
separate using sieving and winnowing, get separated out.
sesame, but the price incentives do not exceed 2-5%. As such,
little to no price incentive is offered in their collection system
Sortex machines are available in a large price range, with dif-
for white sesame compared to mixed colour sesame, nor for
ferent precisions and capacities, making it possible to tailor
quality in general.
the results to the demand of an exporter by choosing the type
and the calibration of the machine. It also allows exporters to
The most important determining factor of the grain colour is
opt for more parallel lines rather than a single large capacity
the variety. Only when producers use pure seed of a single
machine. This is in the case in Burkina Faso and Mali and is an
variety with white grains can they produce homogeneous white
advantage, as it allows for easier maintenance and the possibil-
sesame. Such seed can possibly be recycled for one season,
ity of adapting to fluctuating demands by running one or more
but after that it needs to be renewed. Seed renewal is not com-
machines simultaneously, depending on the supply.
monly practised by farmers (Figure 6). To stimulate producers
to regularly renew their seed from a reliable source, they need
In the current market, there is little to no price incentive for the
to be made aware of the benefits of using clean seed, the most
production and collection of pure white sesame, and obtaining
important being a higher yield (see chapter 3.2), and the second
white sesame in Burkina Faso and Mali requires a bit of extra
a more homogeneously pure white seed harvest. Even though
effort in the form of the use of high quality seed and taking care
the price difference is small, white sesame is sought-after and
not to mix white and mixed lots during collection. This extra
a bulk of white sesame will attract more buyers, improving the
­effort is not likely to be put in without a visible price incentive
bargaining position of producers.
for producers and collectors.
As a result of the limited incentives to produce white sesame,
Since white sesame is destined for a different market than
traders have difficulties obtaining it. They can obtain white ses-
mixed colour sesame, the price incentive depends on the
ame rather than mixed sesame only where it is a relatively new
demand and supplying of these separate markets. For both
crop and where farmers are in the habit of regularly renewing
Burkina Faso and Mali, it would be an added advantage to
30 | Sesame Sector Development
Packaging cleaned sesame in the sesame cleaning plant of PROSEMA, Mali
Photo: Mahamane Touré
produce pure white sesame that can compete with the standard
processing. It would however increase the options for a sesame
pure white sesame originating from Ethiopia. This may not be
exporter, and reduce the vulnerability to price fluctuations in
that important under the current market circumstances, as all
the mixed sesame seed market.
sesame sells easily and prices are invariably profitable, but it will
be the moment that world production increases as a result of
4.4.2
the price increases in recent years. Offering pure white sesame
Consumption grade sesame needs to be 99.98% pure, which
Sesame cleaned to consumption grade cleanliness
is one of the ways in which Burkina Faso and Mali could be
is especially relevant for white sesame for the bakery and
more distinctive in the world market.
confection industry, as well as fresh hulled sesame seed as an
ingredient in cooking. The companies who directly serve these
To improve the availability of white sesame, the major pre-
higher end markets claim they only buy and sell sesame of this
requisite is a functioning sesame seed system which makes
grade, and therefore cannot indicate price differences between
high quality seed of the current best variety, S42, available to
consumption grade sesame and crudely cleaned sesame.
producers. Productivity increase is currently the best argument
­Consumption grade white sesame is currently not sourced
to convince producers that investing in this high quality seed
directly from West-Africa.
is worthwhile, and is best demonstrated through farmer-field
schools and possibly lighter training efforts based on demon-
The bulk of sesame from Burkina Faso is of mixed colour.
stration plots. S42 is a variety which fits well with a large part of
­According to a Taiwanese importer, the industry distinguishes
the sesame producing areas in Burkina Faso and Mali, but it isn’t
three grades of purity for mixed colour sesame: 98%, 99.5%, and
the best on the market. A program to select and promote new
99.98% pure. According to the importer, there is some price dif-
varieties which respond even better to the demand for white
ferentiation between different grades of purity. The differences
sesame would be strategic and could contribute to the future
are however quite modest, especially when correcting for the
competitiveness of Burkina Faso and Mali on the international
actual weight of sesame. The price difference per kilogram of
sesame market.
pure sesame between consumption grade (99.98% clean) and
the lowest grade (98.2% clean) is only 1.3% (Table 19). Another
Considering the current lack of clear price incentives for pure
sesame importer did not provide detailed figures but mentioned
white sesame compared to mixed sesame, the investment in
a 5% premium for 99.98% clean compared to 99% clean sesa-
optical sorting equipment (Sortex) to improve the homogeneity
me, which would mean an effective price premium per kilogram
of colour of sesame lots is an unsure investment. It would only
of 4%. These premiums, paid at the end of the supply chain,
make sense to invest in colour sorting equipment if specific
are thus not very promising and do not immediately provide
clients have been identified and a supply of fairly pure S42 is
an incentive to invest in better performing sesame cleaning
secured from producers. However, no major price differences
equipment. These price incentives provide little basis for sup-
should currently be expected as a result of colour sorting
port towards business plans based on investment in sesame
compared to selling mixed sesame destined for sesame oil
cleaning equipment by exporters in Burkina Faso and Mali.
4 Enhancing Sesame Value Addition | 31
Table 19: Price indications for sesame of three grades
and a place in the market after one of its main investors went
of purity from a Taiwanese importer, 2012
bankrupt. Poor reimbursement of production credit provided
by the buyers contributed in all cases to these losses. A second
Purity
98.20%
99.50%
99.98%
Price (USD/t)
1260
1280
1300
of a reliable sesame collection system. Building such a collec-
Price pure sesame (USD/t)
1283
1286
1300
tion system requires a local network, as the trade is to a large
Price premium (USD/t)
3.34
17.16
extent based on trust between the wholesaler, smaller collec-
Price premium (%)
0.26
1.34
important constraint for these foreign initiatives was the set-up
tors and field collectors (pisteurs).
Intermediate international traders play an important role in the
Technically it is easily feasible to clean sesame up to consump-
sesame sector in Burkina Faso and Mali. Firstly, they compete
tion grade purity. It can be achieved by a line of equipment,
amongst each other for the produce, with a price increasing
sieving and winnowing the product till the required purity is
effect. Secondly, they finance much of the actual collection
reached. Another option is the use of sieving and winnow-
by providing collectors with working credit. The cash require-
ing, followed by colour-based sorting in a Sortex, which has
ment for sesame collection is enormous, as farmers are paid on
the added advantage of producing a more uniformly coloured
the spot for their sesame. Few national collectors can leverage
product, which can also add market value (see above).
enough resources to finance their sesame collection campaign
and banks in Burkina Faso and Mali have not been accommo-
Currently, only part of the sesame produced in Burkina Faso
dating by providing credit at reasonable conditions until recent-
and Mali goes to sesame processors directly. Most sesame
ly. Thirdly, the intermediate collectors know the international
is bought by international intermediate transit traders from
market for sesame and are sourcing from different production
­Europe and India, who often ship the sesame to their own
areas for different clients, with whom they have trade relations.
cleaning ­facilities and redistribute it to the major end-clients.
Finally, as said before, the intermediate traders also own the
As the intermediate buyers have their own cleaning facilities,
cleaning facilities to clean the sesame up to the demanded
they are not inclined to pay generous premiums for better
consumption grade purity desired by many end-buyers.
cleaned sesame. Still, for an international transit trader it would
be a
­ dvantageous to be able to ship directly from Burkina Faso
It can be concluded that there is no single answer to the
or Mali to the final destination.
­seemingly simple question of how to gain additional profit
­margin from better cleaned sesame. A better margin could
The price margin indicated by importers between different
be obtained by selling consumption grade sesame directly
grades of sesame is therefore not the decisive indicator to judge
to sesame processors, rather than crudely cleaned sesame to
whether there is an additional margin to be gained through
intermediate traders. To achieve this though, more is required
higher sesame purity grades. What is more important is to see
than only cleaning capacity. Market relations need to be devel-
what potential additional profit could be gained by exporters
oped to better understand needs and to ensure contracts with
from Burkina Faso and Mali by delivering directly to the sesame
sesame processors. Language is an obstacle, and having English
processing industry, rather than through intermediaries.
speaking staff within sesame exporting companies would help
in the establishment of new trade relations. In addition, sesame
During the sesame project, there were several industrial sesame
collectors in Burkina Faso and Mali need to be financially inde-
processors who showed interest in direct sourcing from the
pendent from intermediate traders to be able to trade directly
country of origin, rather than through intermediaries. Their
with buyers, and many currently rely on sesame collection
main motivation is to reduce the cost of the produce, but also
credit from the same intermediate buyers since competitive
to secure their supply.
trade finance is currently difficult to obtain for sesame traders.
Overall it can be concluded that the investment in better per-
There have also been attempts by established intermediate
forming cleaning capacity can diversify options for companies
buyers to set-up their own collection system and cleaning
from Burkina Faso and Mali to market their sesame, provided
facilities in Burkina Faso and Mali. Although part of the profits
they invest simultaneously in the development of trade relations
of such initiatives may not remain in the two countries, it would
with sesame processors internationally.
still provide added value to the country through taxes paid on
higher value product, as well as employment. Unfortunately, all
three known initiatives met difficulties and two of them, one in
Burkina Faso and one in Mali, have folded altogether, while the
third, in Burkina Faso, is struggling to find a mode of operation
32 | Sesame Sector Development
5Gender Issues in the
Sesame Sector
About 40% of the producers in the sesame sector are female,
Still, practical opportunities were identified to increase women’s
while also in the sesame collection women are active.
benefits from sesame sector development. The main strategies
Traditionally, sesame was a pure women’s crop but with the
suggested were:
development of a highly remunerative market, it has more and
•Use training activities such as farmer field schools to
more become the domain of men, who cultivate the crop on
­negotiate access to land for women’s groups. The need for
larger surfaces.
a demonstration plot provided a strong argument to get
such a plot allotted by the village chief.
The farmer field school survey showed that, on average, men
have double the size of sesame fields compared to women
•Give preference to women in sesame collection and
­cleaning activities.
•Support intensification of production on the smaller plots
­(Table 20). This shows that the main constraint for women
­looking to increase their sesame business is access to land.
cultivated by women. Increasing their plot size is difficult
Men also obtain much higher average yields in Mali than wom-
so increasing productivity of the small plots they do have ac-
en, according to our data (this difference is less pronounced in
cess to is the only way to increase sesame derived revenue.
Burkina Faso). The farming practices were compared between
•Small scale sesame processing was also mentioned as an
men and women and it was observed that men were producing
option, but it was also concluded that opportunities were
sesame in a more intensive manner than women.
limited as the market for sesame derived products in the
two countries is limited.
Table 20: Sesame production by men and women in Burkina
Faso and Mali, 2013
Burkina Faso
Mali
Burkina Faso
Mali
(ha/farmer)
(ha/farmer)
(kg/ha)
(kg/ha)
Men
1.4
1.1
284
260
Women
0.7
0.6
252
184
Gender issues in the sesame sector were specifically debated
in the end of project workshop. It was acknowledged by the
actors present that access to land was the major constraint
for women to professionalise their involvement in the sector.
The transformation of sesame production, from focussing
on domestic use to the international market, had indeed
changed the involvement of women. Whereas they used to
be the principal producers of small plots of sesame, it has
now become a male dominated economic activity. It was
concluded that this is a result of the underlying customs of
land ownership and the division of labour in the household.
The sesame actors indicated that addressing these underlying
issues is beyond the scope and mandate of their organizations and no consensus could be reached on the desirability
of addressing the current men-women relations, access to
land and division of labour.
5 Gender Issues in the Sesame Sector | 33
Sesame collected from the field loading for transport to the cleaning plant of PROSEMA, Mali
Photo: Mahamane Touré
34 | Sesame Sector Development
6 C
onclusions and
­Recommendations
6.1 Conclusions
spectively. The main challenge is to further increase the proportion of producers obtaining such yields in a sustainable manner.
In only a decade, sesame has developed from a marginal, main-
The external inputs used by average farmer are currently very
ly female crop to an agricultural export commodity in Burkina
modest, and there is still lots of room for intensification.
Faso. The sesame sector is developing in Mali at a slower pace,
following in the footsteps of Burkina Faso. The export revenue
To date, contract farming or other vertical chain integration
from sesame in Burkina Faso is only rivalled by cotton and, in
schemes that aimed to provide producers with access to inputs
terms of gross farm gate income, its turn-over is also similar to
and stimulate intensification have failed in Burkina Faso and
cotton. Sesame production holds important advantages over
Mali. As a result of the fierce price competition, farmers and
cotton from a producer point of view: it provides higher profits
their organizations are prone to defaulting on contracts, which
per hectare, requires less investment, is not as labour intensive,
makes the recovery of credit provided through inputs difficult.
is more drought tolerant and, most importantly, is paid for at
the farm gate.
Few sesame producers use fertilizer. A modest dose of 75kg
NPK per hectare was shown to be very profitable and can
The sesame sector is completely export oriented, there is virtu-
be advised, for lack of more tailored advice, for different soil
ally no local market for the high value end-product. The sesame
types. Based on the simple farmer managed fertilizer trials
collection system in Burkina Faso is highly competitive: because
­implemented in Burkina Faso, a return on investment of 320%
of the fierce competition between buyers, there is a strong
can be expected. Adding any organic material available, in
­focus on acquiring volume at the expense of quality control.
the form of manure or compost, can also be advised, as the
The collection system in Mali relies on farmer groups and
optimal volume of 5 tonnes per hectare is not considered to
cooperatives for a significant proportion of its volumes, while
be realistically available.
in Burkina Faso it is more competitive and dynamic, with more,
larger collectors competing against each other, making bulking
Seed quality plays a major role in determining yields. About half
by farmer organizations less important. A large number of buy-
of producers never renew their seed from a reputable source,
ers and collectors at different levels compete against each other
while the other half only renew their seed once every few
and deal with each other in order to profit from sesame collec-
years. A return on investment of 1,900% was derived from trials
tion and short term storage. The capital needs during the brief
comparing good quality seed to recycled local seed. Support-
collection season are enormous and provide an opportunity for
ing the development of commercial quality seed production
tailored financial services.
and marketing is an important entry point for any future sesame
sector intervention. Sowing technology in Burkina Faso can
Sesame production is profitable at the current yield levels, but
be improved by the introduction of sowing machinery, which
there is certainly room for further productivity improvement.
is already in use in cotton production zones in Mali. The tech-
Augmenting productivity is not only important to increase rev-
nology can help farmers plant in a timelier manner. However,
enues, it also contributes to the long term competitiveness of the
it requires additional investment compared to hand sowing
Mali and Burkina sesame sectors on the international market. As
­using family labour.
a result of rising sesame prices in the world market, areas planted
with sesame are increasing and, at some point, efficiency will be-
Farmer field schools showed to be a very suitable capacity
come an important factor to remain competitive internationally.
building method to improve sesame crop husbandry and
­demonstrate the use of fertilizer and high quality seed. The
Whereas average yields are around 500 kg per hectare, yield
­project managed to mobilise many grassroots organizations
levels of over 750 kg per hectare are currently being obtained
and development partners to implement the farmer field
by 25% and 16% of the producers in Burkina Faso and Mali, re-
schools, which are continuing to use the methodology even
6 Conclusions and Recommendations | 35
now that the project is over. Different organizations with
sumption grade clean sesame are not high. It does, however,
experience in sesame sector development and farmer train-
increase the opportunities for sesame exporters to bargain with
ing contributed to the elaboration of the training manual. Yield
different clients directly rather than having to sell to in-between
increases of 30 to 60% can be expected as a result of improved
international traders who clean and repackage produce before
crop husbandry, in addition to the effect of good quality seed.
reselling it. This can be a major advantage and justify investing
In order to see continued efforts to train farmer groups, it is
in packaging and cleaning facilities.
essential to develop a good strategy to reach those not yet
reached before.
Organization for collaboration and sector innovation is needed.
6.2Recommendations for Future
­Interventions
In both Burkina Faso and Mali however, efforts for the organization of the sector follow the example of the cotton sector
Based on the above insights the following opportunities
in a highly formalistic manner. This seems to be too ambitious
can be suggested for future interventions:
for the sesame sector, it would be more realistic to settle for a
lighter form of sector collaboration such as a national sesame
Productivity increase
innovation platform. However, as long as there are on-going ef-
•Further productivity increase through intensification of
forts to develop a full “interprofession”, it would be counterpro-
sesame production is the best opportunity for increased
ductive to work on alternative forms of stakeholder organization.
poverty impact of the sesame sector.
•Specifically, promotion of the use of high quality seed and
The sesame project in its very first set-up aimed to build a
modest use of fertilizer can contribute to further increasing
public-private oil processing facility. This was changed as there
were doubts on the judiciousness of this investment. It was
productivity.
•The development of commercial sesame seed production
learned during the project that there would be a limited local
and marketing is worth investing in, considering the impor-
market for reasonably priced sesame oil, which could form the
basis for the development of a domestic sesame oil industry.
tance of quality seed for a higher production.
Develop (in Burkina Faso) and improve (in Mali) a pre-
„
However, given the current price levels and profit margins for
ordering and pre-financing system for (pre-)basic seed
crude sesame, sesame oil processing may be profitable but
production by the public research institutes, to improve
crude sesame exports are even more profitable. As such, invest-
the links between research and commercial seed multi-
ing in sesame oil processing is not advised. Oil processing will
become an interesting investment opportunity only when prices
pliers;
Support seed companies in the development of fine-
„
in the world market drop and surplus production in Mali and
meshed seed distribution systems all the way to village
Burkina results in seasonally lower prices.
levels, allowing producers to buy high quality seed in
small quantities locally;
Organic sesame production is also currently not a promising
Lobby for a halt on government-run subsidy schemes
„
value addition scheme, as prices for conventional sesame peak
for sesame seed, as these distort the market and hinder
above the prices for organic sesame. Hence, even organically
certified farmers sell their produce on the conventional market
private sector development.
•Further research into a compound fertilizer optimised for
and organic exporters default on their delivery contracts for
sesame would be helpful. The current compound fertilizer
lack of supply. This may change once prices in the conventional
used is tailored for cotton.
market drop substantially.
•Sesame variety selection from neighbouring countries and
Pure white sesame provides some opportunity for modest value
„
addition and specialization but this largely depends on the vari-
„
ety grown. To ensure white sesame is produced, farmers need
„
through crosses is worth the effort, specifically to find:
to replace their seed regularly, which means changing their
habits. Even then the current best white variety, S42, is consid-
Large grain white varieties;
Varieties with high oil content;
Longer season varieties with a higher yield potential
adapted to the longer rainy season in the Southern parts
of Mali and Burkina Faso.
ered of acceptable–not excellent–quality in terms of colour
•Attention for, and research into, pest and disease manage-
and grain size. Collecting pure white sesame is a challenge
ment is required. As sesame has become a major crop
and additional colour sorting using a Sortex is still required to
in Burkina Faso, risks of pest and disease outbreaks are
satisfy market demands. With the limited price incentives for
white sesame, it is doubtful whether such an investment would
ultimately be recouped. Similarly, price incentives for con-
36 | Sesame Sector Development
mounting.
•The farmer field school approach for farmer training has
been effective and can be further promoted provided that
specific efforts are made to reach those who have not yet
been trained on good sesame farming practices.
•Sowing machines could be promoted in Burkina Faso to
improve the timing of sowing and reduce drought damage
as result of late planting.
Value chain development
•Sesame exporters from Burkina Faso and Mali can be supported through trade missions to and from Asian sesame
processing countries in the goal of developing direct trade
relations.
•Sesame exporters can be supported in hiring bilingual staff
to facilitate direct trade with Asian and European countries.
•Develop a functioning sesame collection credit system
between sesame exporters and banks to increase independence from intermediate buyers.
•Improve national competitiveness and innovation capacity
through the transformation of efforts to develop a sesame
“interprofession” into a lighter fit-for-purpose innovation
platform.
Value addition and processing
•Cautiously consider investments in organic sesame farming, as the investments in certification can currently not be
compensated by higher prices.
•Cautiously consider investments in sesame oil processing
under current market circumstances, as the trade in crude
sesame is more lucrative, making it unlikely that oil processing facilities would be used and investments would probably
not be recouped.
•Cautiously consider investments in facilities to colour sort
sesame to serve the white sesame market, as a reliable
­supply of reasonably white sesame cannot be guaranteed
under the current farmer practices and variety mix.
•Assess, with entrepreneurs, the opportunity for value
­addition through sesame hulling.
•Support sesame exporters’ investment in cleaning equipment through:
Co-funding investment in equipment;
„
„
Providing technical support during the installation
and pilot use of cleaning equipment.
6 Conclusions and Recommendations | 37
Sesame collection point and warehouse, Burkina Faso
38 | Sesame Sector Development
Photo: Darius Tiombiano
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