FARMER’S GUIDE FOR THE FRODUCTION
AND POST-HARVEST HANDLING OF SESAME PRODUCTS IN
NIGERIA
STDF Project 172 co-financed by NEPC and STDF, implemented
by NEPC and supervised by ITC
2014
TRAINING MANUAL
EXPANDING EXPORT OF SESAME SEED AND SHEANUT/BUTTER THROUGH IMPROVED SPS
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS
Bruno DOKO, International Consultant, ITC, STDF Project 172
Samson ENWERE, NSSAN, Nigeria
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Authors are thankful to all contributors of the preparation of this manual. Particularly, they
expressed their warmest thanks to NEPC, and NSSAN for the relevant inputs.
They also expressed their strong appreciations to the project’s sponsors, e.g. STDF/WTO, and
NEPC whose supports enable the production of this manual. Special thanks to NCRI for their
providing some relevant inputs.
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This document presents “Farmer’s Guide for the Production and Post-Harvest Handling of Sesame Products in
Nigeria”.
This document has been prepared in consultation with the project colaborating instititutions/agencies and several
sector stakeholders.
Authors:
Bruno DOKO, International Consultant to ITC, STDF Project # 172
Samson Enwere, NSSAN, Nigeria
Disclaimer: This document has not been formally edited by STDF/WTO or the ITC.
Views and opinions expressed are those of author and do not necessarily coincide with those of ITC, NEPC, NSSAN,
UN and WTO. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this paper do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the ITC or WTO concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Mention of firms, products and product brands does not imply the endorsement of ITC.
This document was developed within the framework of Project STDF 172 funded by the STDF/WTO, implemented
by the NEPC and supervised by the ITC entitled "Expanding Nigeria's Exports of Sesame Seeds and Sheanut/ Butter
Through Improved SPS Capacity Building for the Private and Public Sector".
This document is part of a set of documents developed under NEPC’s coordination, involving all stakeholders, in its
effort of contributing to the improvement of the quality and compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
of sheanuts/butter and sesame seeds from Nigeria.
Fo more information on NEPC: www.nepc.gov.ng
For more information on STDF: www.standardsfacility.org
For more information on ITC: www.intracen.org
http://www.nepc.gov.ng/http://www.standardsfacility.org/http://www.intr…
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Table of Contents
1. Economic Importance of Sesame 9
1.1. Production 10
1.2. Utilisation 11
1.3. Markets and Economics 13
2. Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities 14
2.1. Site Selection, Seed Variety Selection and Seed Sources 15
2.2. Field Preparation 18
3. Plant Protection Practices: Seasons Activities 22
3.1. Weeds 23
3.2. Insect Pests 26
3.3. Diseases 27
4. Sesame Production Requirements: Season Activities 29
4.1. Sesame Planting 30
4.2. Thinning 32
5. Plant Development and Recommended Practices: Seasons Practices 33
5.1. Maturity and Harvest Determination 34
5.1.1. Planting Stage end point DAP: 0 - 5 - Emergence 34
5.1.2. Seedling Stage end Point DAP 6 – 25: 3rd pair true leaf length 34
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34
5.1.3. Juvenile Stage end Point DAP 26 - 37: First buds 35
5.1.4. Pre-Reproductive Stage end Point - DAP 38-44: 50% open flowers 35
5.1.5. Early bloom stage end points DAP 45-52: 36
5 node pairs of capsules 36
5.1.6. Mid-Bloom Stage End Point - DAP 53-70: 36
Branches/minor plants stop flowering 36
5.1.7. Late Bloom Stage end Point - DAP 71-80 – 37
90% of plants with no flowers 37
5.1.8. Ripening Stage end Point DAP 81-90: 37
Physiological maturity (PM) 37
6. Harvesting and Post-harvest Handling Practices 39
6.1. Harvesting Sesame Seed 40
6.2. Manual harvesting 43
6.2.1. Threshing and Winnowing 43
6.2.2. Drying 44
6.2.3. Storage 45
6.2.4. Transportation 46
6.3. Manual Cleaning process 47
6.4. Mechanical Cleaning 48
6.5. Sesame Seed Quality Control 49
6.5.1. Quality Assurance: 49
6.5.2. Quality Control (QC): 49
6.5.3. Certification of services/products: 50
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Note or Acronyms or Abbreviations
This page should contain the list of abbreviations within the document. It can be named either
Note or Acronyms or Abbreviations.
IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
ITC International Trade Centre
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
WTO World Trade Organization
STDF Standards and Trade Development Facility
NAFDAC National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
NEPC Nigerian Export Promotion Council
NCRI National Cereals Research Institute
NSPRI Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute
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INTRODUCTION
Food safety has become a serious societal issue because of pathogens and food contamination.
Safe produce begins with the production and handling practices on the farm. A sesame seed
grown and sold with little biological contamination is less likely to result in health hazards
caused by poor handling during later preparation stages. Farmers/producers have the critical
job of minimizing product contamination by learning about potential sources of contamination
and by using Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), e.g., a set of recommendations that can help
improve the quality and safety of the produce grown.
Good agricultural practices (GAPs) at the farm level involve multi-faceted efforts at ensuring
that foods are safe for human consumption. There are a variety of GAPs that can be instituted
at the farm level. Contamination of farm goods affects both consumers and agricultural
producers. Thus, providing safe foods and promoting safety for humans and the environment
include all the steps in the production chain from farm to consumer.
GAPs are a set of recommendations to improve the quality and safety of sesame products.
Failure to institute a GAP program allows the risk of contaminated food products in the
production process. GAP programs is meant to help farmers self-audit their operations of
producing, post-harvest handling (e.g. processing, drying, storage, and transportation) to
safeguard sesame products, the environment, and both the consumers and producers.
After identifying the risks that may exist within a producer’s specific operation, a series of
action steps can be developed to measure, monitor, and, if necessary, modify procedures
designed to reduce these risks. By using a food safety plan that tracks and documents
procedures, a producer has a series of information and records that demonstrate progress
toward the reduction of risks for the operation.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sesame farmers/producers and their employees have the critical job of production of safe
produce by having access to appropriate information and practices to minimizing and/or
eliminate potential sources of hazards by following recommended practices. These
recommendations, e.g., general guidelines elaborated in the manual can be adapted and/or
incorporated at any stage, focusing a number of primary components displayed into six main
chapters including:
1. Economic Importance of sesame;
2. Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities;
3. Plant Protection Practices: Season Activities;
4. Sesame Production Requirements: Season Activities;
5. Plant Development and Recommended Practices: Season Activities;
6. Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling Practices: Post-Season Activities.
This guide provides a brief overview of the concept of GAPs and highlights some of the
potential consequences of not instituting GAP guidelines into a farm’s operation. Not instituting
GAP guidelines into a farm’s operation allows consumer’s exposure to potential contamination
risks. Therefore, GAP guidelines should be a priority for all farmers since they benefit both
consumers and producers.
GAPs can help trace contaminated foods back to the “handlers and growers” responsible for
unsafe agricultural products. Besides the risks at field level, an important aspect of each farm
operation is the post-harvest handling of sesame products because of the risk of exposure to
contaminants (or cross-contamination) during storage, transportation and distribution of
products. Preventing contamination at all possible sources on the farm and during post-harvest
handling is critical because of the impact on both consumers and producers.
Quality control and Food safety programs should be instituted to prevent foodborne illnesses
and food contamination starting at field level throughout the whole production and post-
harvest handling processes from farm to consumers’ table. This manual is necessary for all
agricultural operations. Self-audits should be conducted on a regular basis to determine
whether a farm meets individual, government, and/or international GAP standards.
For sesame production, this manual displays a set of recommendations that can help improve
the quality and safety of the produce grown. The purpose of the manual being therefore to
provide farmers/producers and marketers, and middlemen with the requisite knowledge and
skills, strengthening the productivity, improving competitiveness, supply identified market
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outlets with good quality product and thus enhance the income and thereby well-being of
farmers/producers.
The current guide prepared under the STDF Project #172 for sesame production and post-
harvest handling is conceived to serve as a manual and reference for farmers, and sesame
producers. It has been designed in a way that extension agents, trainers and other interested
users would also find it beneficial.
Chapter 1 - Economic Importance of Sesame
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1. Economic Importance of Sesame
Chapter 1 - Economic Importance of Sesame
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1.1. Production
Global production of sesame seed is
estimated by FAO at 3.3 million metric
tons (MT) per year (2006) having risen
from 1.4 MT in the early 1960s. The
largest producers are China and India,
each with an annual harvest of around
750,000 MT followed by Myanmar
(425,000 MT) and Sudan (300,000 MT).
Photo: B. Doko
Sesame has important agricultural attributes: it is adapted to tropical and temperate
conditions, grows well on stored soil moisture with minimal irrigation or rainfall can
produce good yields under high temperatures, and its grain has a high value (Mal
Bennett).
Of an estimated 3.5 million hectares of land available for the crop, only about 335,000 ha
are currently used for sesame, suggesting a vast potential for increased production of the
crop in Nigeria.
Sesame Production Areas in Nigeria:
The major producing areas in order of priority are Nasarawa, Jigawa and Benue
States. Other important areas of production are found in Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Kogi,
Gombe and Plateau States.
The quality type of Sesame produced in Nigeria
There are 2 types of sesame produced in Nigeria:
white/raw, food-grade sesame used in the bakery industry, and
brown/mixed, primarily oil-grade sesame.
The white (food grade) seed is grown around the towns of Keffi, Lafia, Doma, in
Nassarawa state, Taraba state, and Makurdi in Benue state.
Chapter 1 - Economic Importance of Sesame
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The brown/mixed seed grows in the North, in Kano state and in Jigawa state around
Hadejia, and somewhat in the Southern part of Katsina State.
1.2. Utilisation
Sesame, Sesamum indicum L., is an ancient oil crop supplying seeds for confectionery
purposes, edible oil, paste (tahini), cake and flour. It is typically a crop of small farmers in
the developing countries. The taste of sesame differs among varieties, and can be
negatively affected by poor post-harvest processing and storage.
Part of the attraction of sesame for baking is undoubtedly its high fat (50% oil) and high
protein content (up to 25% protein by weight). Sesame oil carries a premium relative to
other cooking oils and is considered more stable than most vegetable oils due to
antioxidants in the oil. The antioxidants inhibit the development of rancidity in the oil. In
the food industry, where synthetic antioxidants are used extensively, there is an
increasing demand for more natural products.
Sesame is commercialized in a number of forms. Most sesame is processed directly into
oil but can also be sold at various stages of processing, for various uses, such as meal,
paste, confections, and bakery products (Fig. 1). In Nigeria, sesame is grown for its seed,
and the primary use of the sesame seed is as a source of oil for cooking. It is also
common to find roasted sesame seeds sold (either sole or with groundnuts) and eaten as
snack among rural and urban dwellers across Nigeria.
With the growing demand for organically grown food there is a market for sesame
products produced under organic conditions. During sesame seed extraction process, the
remaining meal, e.g. extraction by-products is a high protein material suitable for feeding
to livestock. Although at this time sesame oil is used almost exclusively for human food
consumption, it has potential for a variety of industrial uses, as do most vegetable oils.
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.
Chapter 1 - Economic Importance of Sesame
12
Oil
Biscuits
Bun
Fig. 1: Illustration of some uses of sesame
Source: USAID-MARKETS (2009)
.
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1.3. Markets and Economics
In 1993, the world trade in sesame seed was 486,000 t. Japan was the largest importer
taking 24% of the world imports. The second largest importer was the USA with 8% of
world imports. It is forecast that the imports of sesame seed will grow at between 6 and
8% per annum until the year 2012.
In Nigeria, Sesame is an important
export crop and the country has a
substantial role in the global sesame
trade. Annual exports of sesame from
Nigeria are valued at about US$20
million and Nigeria is the primary
supplier of sesame seed to the world’s
largest importer, Japan.
Photo: B. Doko
In response to the growing export market demand, Nigeria’s production of the crop has
consistently increased from about 15,000 MT in 1980, to about 100,000 MT in 2006.
Most sesame exported from Nigeria is in primary form. Over 70% of its export is handled
by 4 major export companies: Olam Nigeria, Akkay Limited, Dangote and Dantata. The
Sesame (or beniseed) is an oil seed grown predominantly as an export crop. Annual
export from Nigeria is estimated at about US$ 20 million with potential of increasing
tenfold. Global exports of sesame seed are estimated to have reached 675,000 MT in
2000, having risen from 427,000 MT in 1988. India is now the single largest exporter of
sesame seed, with exports of some 180,000 MT, with Sudan in second position, exporting
over 138,000 MT per year (USAID-MARKETS, 2009).
However, in the fields of sesame production, and post-harvest handling business,
producers, mainly smallholder farmers are facing strong constraints and challenges to
achieve significant increases in their incomes owing to factors including among others,
poor knowledge good agricultural practices, and inadequate technical support from local
extension services, and the poorly developed market opportunities.
Chapter 2 – Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities
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2. Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities
Chapter 2 – Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities
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2.1. Site Selection, Seed Variety Selection and Seed Sources
Site selection,
Sesame is adaptable to many types of soil but it does best on well-drained soils. The crop
is usually produced on upland plains while depressions and valleys with poorer drained
soils are generally unsuitable.
It does reasonably well on poor soils; sandy loams are preferred. Once established, it can
tolerate short periods of drought, but is very intolerant of water logging. It has poor
ability to compete with weeds in the early stages.
Tips in selecting appropriate sites include:
select land that is fairly flat and well drained (not water logged);
avoid depressions and valley bottoms such as fadamas with poorly
drained soils;
select land that is fertile and has sandy loam soil free from
concretions;
sesame can be grown in rotation following yam, sorghum, maize,
groundnuts, cotton, millet, or cowpea;
it can also be grown as a mixed crop with sorghum, millet, and other
cereals.
Variety Selection and Seed Sources
Seed Selection:
There are many varieties of sesame available from
which farmers can select. The major varieties used are
indicated in table 1. However, the two types of
sesame preferred/produced in Nigeria include:
the white/raw, food-grade sesame used in the
bakery industry, and
the brown/mixed, primarily oil-grade sesame.
Photo: B. Doko
The types of sesame seed produced and their growing location in Nigeria are shown in
table 2.
Chapter 2 – Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities
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1. Always choose seeds of the same type and variety.
2. Mixing different seed sources or varieties will result
in uneven height, maturity and seed quality.
Table 1: Basic characteristics of released sesame varieties [by the National Cereals Research
Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Nigeria]
Sesame Variety
Days to
Maturity
Characteristics of Seed % Oil
content
Potential
yield (kg/ha) color Size
NCRIBEN-01M 102-115 White 3 45 1000
NCRIBEN-02M 102-115 Light brown 3 45 750
NCRIBEN-03M 125-140 White 2 40 600
E8 90 Light brown 3.6 50 1000
Yandev 55 125 Light brown 2.5 45 600
Table 2: the type of sesame seed produced and their growing location in Nigeria
Sesame Quality Grade The Sector of usage
Location
State Place/town
White/raw (food
grade)
bakery industry
Benue state Makurdi
Taraba state
Nassarawa state Keffi, Lafia, Doma
Brown Mixed (oil-
grade)
Oil industry
Kano state
Jigawa state Hadejia
Katsina State
Chapter 2 – Agricultural Practices: Pre-Season Activities
17
3. Always choose seeds of the same type and variety.
4. Mixing different seed sources or varieties will result in uneven height,
maturity and seed quality.
Note: The choice of which variety to grow is rather market demand-driven business. If the
above varieties are not available, make sure to use clean and healthy seeds from a reliable
source.
Seed Requirements
Sowing style
3-5 kg/ha in furrow sowing, and
8kg/ha in broadcasting
Increase the planting rate if the seeds are planted deep, soil moisture is limited, soil
temperature is cool, or the soil is compacted, cloddy, or trashy;
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