Sesame seeds export tops $284.47 mln in H1

Myanmar’s sesame seeds export has earned US$284.47 million in H1 (Oct-Mar) of the current financial year 2020-2021, according to data released by Myanmar Customs Department.
The export price of sesame seeds is rising a bit for now owing to Kyat weakening against dollar in forex market.
At present, the black sesame seeds (Samone variety) fetched K130,000-K148,000 per bag, Mandalay depot stated.
Normally, Myanmar exports about 80 per cent of sesame production to foreign markets. China is the main buyer of Myanmar sesame, which is also shipped to markets in Japan, South Korea, China (Taipei), UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and Poland among the EU countries.
The EU markets prefer organic-farming sesame seeds from Myanmar, said an official from the Myanmar Trade Promotion Organization.
Japan prefers Myanmar’s black sesame seeds, cultivated under good agricultural practices (GAP), and purchases them after a quality assessment. Black sesame seeds from Myanmar are also exported to South Korea and Japan. Meanwhile, China purchases various coloured sesame seeds from the country. This year, Japan has not purchased Myanmar’s sesame yet.
Sesame is cultivated in the country throughout the year. Magway Region is the main producer of sesame seeds. The seeds are also grown in Mandalay and Sagaing regions.
Of the cooking oil crops grown in Myanmar, the sown acreage under sesame seed is the highest, accounting for 51.3 per cent of the overall oil crop plantations.
The volume of sesame exports was registered at over 96,000 metric tonnes, worth $130 million, in the financial year 2015-2016; $100,000 tonnes, worth $145 million, in the FY 2016-2017FY; 120,000 tonnes, worth $147 million, in the FY 2017-2018; 33,900 tonnes valued $43.8 million in the 2018 mini-budget period, 125,800 tonnes, worth $212.5 million in the FY 2018-2019 and over 150,000 tonnes of sesame, worth $240 million in the previous FY 2019-2020, the trade data of Central Statistical Organization indicated.—KK/GNLM