참깨 from 에티오피아

History

Sesame cultivation in Ethiopia dates back centuries, particularly in Tigray and Amhara regions. It evolved from small-scale traditional farming to an export-oriented commercial crop starting in the early 2000s, when international demand and government support began to increase.

Production Regions

• Tigray (Humera zone): Known for white Humera sesame, considered premium grade.
• Amhara (Gondar zone): Produces Wollega and mixed sesame types.
• Benishangul-Gumuz: Emerging production area with large commercial farms.
• Oromia: Smaller, scattered farms supplying domestic and local markets.

Growing Conditions

• Climate: Hot, semi-arid with well-defined rainy season (June–September).
• Rainfall: 500 to 700 mm annually; fully rainfed.
• Soil: Well-drained, sandy loam to clay loam.
• Sowing Season: June–July.

Harvesting Process

• Manual Harvesting: Plants are uprooted or cut, then left to dry.
• Threshing: Dried plants are beaten or shaken to release seeds.
• Drying & Cleaning: Seeds are sun-dried and manually sieved or processed in cooperatives.

Cultivation Methods

• Farm Size: Mix of smallholder plots (under 2 ha) and large-scale commercial farms.
• Farming Practices: Rainfed, with minimal mechanization and inputs.
• Support: Agricultural cooperatives and unions help with input access and market coordination.
• Mechanization: Slowly increasing on commercial farms but limited for smallholders.

Supply Chain

• Flow: Farmers → Cooperatives → Unions → Exporters.
• Exporters: Private companies and cooperatives handle quality processing, sorting, and grading.
• Port: Exports routed through Djibouti Port.

Local Logistics

• Transport: Trucking from farms to storage centers and processing hubs.
• Challenges: Road infrastructure in remote growing areas affects delivery time and quality.

Regulations and Certifications

• Government Oversight: Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) regulates sesame trade.
• Certifications: Organic and fair trade certifications available through select exporters.
• Residue Compliance: Quality checks implemented to meet EU and Japanese market requirements.

Quality Standards

• Purity: Common export standard is 99% purity, with <8% moisture.
• Color: White sesame from Humera and Wollega considered premium.
• Grading: Based on size, uniformity, cleanliness, and processing type.

Trade Terms

• Exports (2023): Exceeded 200,000 MT.
• HS Code: 120740.
• Key Buyers: China, Israel, Turkey, UAE, Japan, and South Korea.
• Payment Terms: Mostly via letters of credit; some volume traded via forward contracts.

Environmental Impact

• Water Use: Low, due to reliance on rainfed agriculture.
• Land Use: Often cultivated on marginal or previously fallow lands.
• Soil Degradation: Risk present due to poor crop rotation.
• Climate Resilience: Adapted to semi-arid conditions; resilient to moderate drought.

Social Impact

• Employment: Critical source of income for rural households.
• Women’s Role: Active in post-harvest processing and cooperative work.
• Cooperatives: Empower smallholders and improve price negotiation.
• Export Revenue: Major contributor to national foreign exchange.

Uses:

• Food Industry: Tahini, confectionery, bakery, and snack products.
• Oil Extraction: Used domestically and exported as premium sesame oil.
• Cosmetics & Pharmaceuticals: Used in skin-care formulations and traditional medicine. 
• Byproducts: Sesame cake used in animal feed.