Sesame Industry
Sesame seeds (or sesamum or benniseed) are the seeds of the tropical annual Sesamum indicum. The species has a long history of cultivation, mostly for its yield of oil. The original area of domestication of sesame is obscure but it seems likely to have first been brought into cultivation in Asia or India. The plant is usually 60 to 120cm tall and the fruit is a dehiscent capsule held close to the stem. When ripe, the capsule shatters to release a number of small seeds. The seeds are protected by a fibrous 'hull' or skin, which may be whitish to brown or black depending on the variety. 1000 seeds weigh some 4-8g. The seeds have a high oil content of 44-60%.
The plant is deep rooting and well adapted to withstand dry conditions. It will grow on relatively poor soils in climates generally unsuitable for other crops, and so it is widely valued for its nutritional and financial yield from otherwise inclement areas. It is well suited to smallholder farming with a relatively short harvest cycle of 90 –140 days allowing other crops
to be grown in the field. It is often intercropped with other grains. Sesame is now cultivated around the dry tropics between the latitudes of 40° N and S. It is scarcely cultivated in the USA or Europe, not only because of climate but also because of the low returns per unit area. Non-shattering varieties have been bred in order to mechanize the crop, but the great majority of the world's output is still harvested by hand.
Sesame Products
Sesame is grown for its seeds, and the primary use of the sesame seed is as a source of oil for cooking. The young leaves may also be eaten in stews, and the dried stems may be burnt as fuel with the ash used for local soap making, but such uses are entirely subordinate to seed production. Sesame is commercialized in a number of forms. Most sesame is processed directly into oil by the grower or within the producing region, but can also be sold in various stages of processing, for various uses, such as meal, paste, confections, and bakery products. Once harvested, the seed is cleaned and dried to about 8% moisture and may then be stored before crushing. The seed is typically crushed intact for the oil. This, however, yields a meal that is made bitter and somewhat indigestible by the presence of the fibrous husk. As such the meal is only useful as cattle feed.
The quality of the meal can be improved by removing the seed coat, dehulling, before crushing. In India, where sesame meal is an important food, this process is a standard feature of an oil
extraction plant. The meal is notable for its high protein concentration which is rich in methionine and tryptophan. Since these amino acids are missing from a number of other sources of vegetable protein, such as soya, sesame meal or flour can be added to recipes to give a better nutritional balance to health food products.Dehulling is also important for the production of the ground seed pastes such as tahini and for confectionery uses. The dehulled seeds are extensively used in the ground form where they comprise the base material of tahini, a paste used as an ingredient in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods.
The seeds, hulled or dehulled, roasted or raw are now widely used in the European and North American bakery industry as a garnish on bread products. For bakery products it is more a
question of consumer preference: the McDonald's burger buns, for example, use only the whitest grades of de-hulled seed which have been treated to maintain their whiteness on
baking, whereas other bread products exploit the darker color of the whole seeds to give aesthetic appeal.
Ghanaian sesame Industry
It has long been known that the agriculture sector holds the potential to move Ghana and Africa out of the economic doldrums. Canzil Group Ltd. has started an initiative to make a hitherto unpopular plant, sesame, the cornerstone of what can become a major export earner for Ghana. The potentialof sesame can far outstrip cocoa and cashew which are current major agricultural commodity foreign exchange earners for Ghana.
Production
Canzil Group Ltd implemented pilot production of sesame in the middle belt region of Ghana between latitudes 6 and 1 0N. Sesame is commonly grown by smallholder farmers. The majorproducing areas are Agogo, Debiso, Drobo, Sefwi Bekwai. Other important areas of production are in the Eastern, Ashanti, Western, Central, V olta, Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions. Harvesting begins in late December and continues through July. Each producing area has its season based on the national rainfall maxima. There are 2 types of sesame produced in Ghana, namely:
1. White/raw = Food-grade used in bakery industry (98-100% whitest grade seeds)
2. Brown/mixed = Primarily oil-grade.
Export
About 60-70% of sesame produced in Ghana is exported to the major consuming countries. Without commercial scale oil extraction, only the seed is exported from Ghana. Three companies which dominate the purchase and export of sesame seed are:
a. Canzil Group Co. Limited
b. Akkay Limited
c. Dangote Ltd
d. Dantata Ltd
Canzil Group Co. Limited Recommendations
As a smallholder crop capable of providing income in areas where the options are quite limited, sesame has a key role in sustaining agriculture in disadvantaged areas. Our meeting with
farmers group held in various communities the farmers complained of inadequate support for them.
Recommendation 1: Appraise and evaluate the research, trials and extension services available to the sesame sector.
Recommendation 2: Investigate opportunities in other markets, with particular focus initially on the oil markets of the Far East, Korea and Taiwan.
Recommendation 3: Appraise the requirements of other sesame sectors.
Growing steadily from humble beginnings
It all began with a simple idea fueled by a deep passion. As a small business, we pride ourselves on personal attention and dedication to every detail. Our approach is rooted in quality and integrity, ensuring that everything we do reflects our commitment to excellence.
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