Sesame seed Production by Country 2025

Sesame seeds dominate ancient oilseed production with Sudan leading at 1.37 million tonnes in 2023, projected to reach 1.45 million tonnes by 2025. Global production totaled 6.79 million tonnes in 2023, up 8.6% from 2022, spanning 71 countries concentrated in semi-arid regions. India produces 802,000 tonnes, Myanmar contributes 742,000 tonnes, and China adds 453,000 tonnes. These tiny seeds—"open sesame!" from Arabian Nights—provide oil (50% content), protein, and distinctive nutty flavor. Sesame serves oil extraction (60%), tahini/paste (25%), and whole seeds for baking (15%), with white seeds commanding premiums for appearance while black seeds offer stronger flavor, creating diverse culinary applications from Middle Eastern tahini to Asian stir-fries to American burger buns.

🏆 Sudan's Volatile Dominance

Sudan produces 1.37 million tonnes in 2023, accounting for 20% of global output, concentrated in Gedaref and Blue Nile states where sesame provides crucial export revenue. Sudanese production shows extreme volatility (960,000-1.78 million tonnes 2018-2023) due to conflict, rainfall variability, and economic instability. Sudan exports primarily to China, Japan, and Middle East for oil extraction and tahini. India contributes 802,000 tonnes, concentrated in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, serving domestic consumption—India is world's largest sesame consumer despite being major producer. Myanmar produces 742,000 tonnes with stable output, exporting to China and Japan. China adds 453,000 tonnes, primarily for domestic oil and food use. These top producers account for 52% of global sesame, with Africa dominating production (55% of global output) but Asia leading consumption.

Sesame seed Production by Country 2025

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#	Country	2025 (est.) (Tonne)
1	Sudan SD	1,449,612
2	India IN	801,053
3	Myanmar MM	739,457
4	China CN	448,370
5	Nigeria NG	424,000
6	Burkina Faso BF	223,507
7	Pakistan PK	221,936
8	Brazil BR	218,900
9	Chad TD	204,897
10	Tanzania TZ	204,481
11	Central African Republic CF	192,666
12	South Sudan SS	178,666
13	Ethiopia ET	175,561
14	Mozambique MZ	169,420
15	Uganda UG	139,800
16	Niger NE	99,277
17	Cameroon CM	70,000
18	Mexico MX	52,950
19	Egypt EG	50,888
20	Mali ML	46,915
21	Senegal SN	37,638
22	Paraguay PY	37,285
23	Somalia SO	34,169
24	Thailand TH	31,500
25	Bangladesh BD	31,162
26	Guatemala GT	30,000
27	Iran IR	29,000
28	Afghanistan AF	23,361
29	Vietnam VN	22,730
30	Venezuela VE	21,748
31	Yemen YE	19,634
32	Türkiye TR	16,836
33	Uzbekistan UZ	15,737
34	Bolivia BO	13,473
35	Sri Lanka LK	11,145
36	Zimbabwe ZW	10,760
37	Cambodia KH	10,128
38	South Korea KR	10,008
39	Benin BJ	10,000
40	Syria SY	9,381
41	Laos LA	8,883
42	Malawi MW	7,533
43	Eritrea ER	5,052
44	DR Congo CD	4,572
45	Haiti HT	4,203
46	Colombia CO	4,151
47	Saudi Arabia SA	4,129
48	Sierra Leone SL	3,535
49	Kenya KE	3,349
50	Guinea GN	3,291
51	Angola AO	3,239
52	Ivory Coast CI	2,916
53	Nicaragua NI	2,894
54	Taiwan TW	1,945
55	Togo TG	1,920
56	Iraq IQ	1,430
57	Gambia GM	1,273
58	Honduras HN	1,171
59	Tajikistan TJ	1,114
60	El Salvador SV	895
61	Morocco MA	351
62	Congo CG	271
63	Peru PE	269
64	Palestine PS	223
65	Lebanon LB	182
66	Costa Rica CR	157
67	Jordan JO	64
68	Israel IL	48
69	North Macedonia MK	42
70	Ecuador EC	18
71	Japan JP	14

🌍 Global Diversity

Nigeria produces 420,000 tonnes (volatile due to security issues), Pakistan 301,000 tonnes (rapid growth), and Brazil 289,000 tonnes (expanding production). Tanzania contributes 267,000 tonnes, Burkina Faso 247,000 tonnes, and Chad 210,000 tonnes. Ethiopia produces 200,000 tonnes, Central African Republic 197,000 tonnes. These producers showcase sesame's drought tolerance—thriving where other oilseeds fail. Varieties include white (premium appearance for bakery), black (stronger flavor for Asian cuisine), brown, and golden. Mechanization remains limited—most sesame hand-harvested due to uneven ripening and shattering (seeds fall when mature). Climate change brings irregular rainfall affecting yields. However, sesame's deep taproot and drought tolerance make it climate-resilient crop for semi-arid regions.

🌰 Ancient Oilseed

Sesame seeds provide oil (50% content—rich in oleic and linoleic acids), protein (18%), calcium, iron, and antioxidants (sesamin, sesamolin) at 573 calories per 100g. Oldest oilseed crop (cultivated 5,000+ years), mentioned in ancient texts. Culinary diversity spans tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste—hummus base), halva (sweet confection), sesame oil (Asian cooking), gomashio (Japanese seasoning), and burger bun topping. Processing creates refined oil (cooking), cold-pressed oil (premium), tahini, and sesame flour. White seeds preferred for appearance (bakery, confections), black seeds for flavor (Asian cuisine). The phrase "open sesame!" from Arabian Nights refers to seed pods bursting open when ripe. Non-food uses include cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Sesame's high oil content and nutty flavor create premium markets.

🌱 Drought-Tolerant Cultivation

Sesame thrives in hot, semi-arid climates (25-35°C) with 500-650mm rainfall. Deep taproot (1-2m) accesses moisture other crops can't reach. Growing season 90-120 days. Major challenge: uneven ripening and shattering—pods burst open when mature, scattering seeds. Hand-harvesting common—cut plants before full maturity, dry in bundles. Mechanical harvest difficult but improving with non-shattering varieties. Pests include aphids, leaf webbers, and pod borers. Diseases include Fusarium wilt and bacterial blight. Climate change brings irregular rainfall but sesame's drought tolerance provides advantage. Breeding programs develop non-shattering varieties (enable mechanical harvest), disease resistance, and higher oil content. Sesame fixes some nitrogen, improving soil.

📊 Oil and Tahini Markets

Sesame prices fluctuate $1,500-3,000/tonne depending on quality and color. White seeds command 20-30% premiums over mixed colors. Global sesame trade worth $5-7 billion annually, dominated by oil and tahini exports. Sudan, Tanzania, and Nigeria export to China, Japan, and Middle East. Japan imports heavily for oil and food use. China is world's largest importer despite domestic production. Retail trends favor organic sesame (30-50% premiums), black sesame (health halo), and tahini (hummus popularity). Climate change affects production through rainfall variability. Mechanization challenges limit productivity. Competition from other oilseeds (soy, sunflower) affects markets. However, sesame's unique flavor, cultural significance, and drought tolerance ensure continued demand.

🔮 Climate-Resilient Future

Global sesame production projected to grow 2-3% annually through 2030, driven by health consciousness and tahini popularity. Non-shattering varieties enable mechanization, improving productivity. Climate change favors drought-tolerant crops like sesame in semi-arid regions. Organic production expands in response to premium markets. However, sesame faces challenges from mechanization difficulties, price volatility, and competition from other oilseeds. The crop's ancient heritage, nutritional profile, and climate resilience ensure continued cultivation, though production will likely concentrate in regions with suitable climate and export infrastructure in this oldest oilseed's modern role spanning Middle Eastern tahini to Asian cuisine to Western health foods as climate-adapted protein and oil source.

Sesame seed Production by Country 2025

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#	Country	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2025 (est.)
1	Sudan	960,000	1,210,000	1,525,104	1,777,853	1,367,552	1,367,552	1,449,612
2	India	755,430	689,310	657,500	816,810	788,740	802,138	801,053
3	Myanmar	715,437	744,498	657,993	738,817	735,941	741,823	739,457
4	China	431,500	467,000	456,900	455,400	435,300	453,400	448,370
5	Nigeria	522,730	523,430	195,427	440,000	420,000	420,000	424,000
6	Burkina Faso	253,936	374,703	384,614	186,449	208,796	247,157	223,507
7	Pakistan	35,699	64,449	102,196	128,075	152,341	301,237	221,936
8	Brazil	41,000	96,000	57,000	111,000	174,000	289,000	218,900
9	Chad	172,538	217,694	202,074	196,904	201,913	209,884	204,897
10	Tanzania	640,000	680,000	228,920	236,162	79,170	266,994	204,481
11	Central African Republic	289,786	301,379	179,952	185,352	190,917	196,641	192,666
12	South Sudan	181,427	179,254	179,153	180,652	179,124	177,597	178,666
13	Ethiopia	201,665	262,654	260,258	137,807	160,000	200,000	175,561
14	Mozambique	74,283	80,421	125,038	156,885	188,113	163,219	169,420
15	Uganda	144,000	144,000	146,000	142,000	138,000	140,000	139,800
16	Niger	90,174	97,699	88,189	84,675	104,088	102,231	99,277
17	Cameroon	80,302	72,649	75,822	70,000	70,000	70,000	70,000
18	Mexico	57,256	57,811	51,997	53,019	56,468	50,812	52,950
19	Egypt	35,763	36,150	61,400	53,206	50,821	50,000	50,888
20	Mali	46,698	51,148	35,191	42,827	48,083	47,850	46,915
21	Senegal	14,033	18,552	36,110	37,586	40,401	36,000	37,638
22	Paraguay	18,002	24,000	37,338	35,877	27,738	43,577	37,285
23	Somalia	36,000	36,000	33,682	33,927	34,095	34,310	34,169
24	Thailand	31,000	31,000	31,000	31,000	31,000	32,000	31,500
25	Bangladesh	34,859	31,613	31,786	32,434	31,060	30,714	31,162
26	Guatemala	38,000	38,000	35,000	30,000	30,000	30,000	30,000
27	Iran	29,000	29,000	29,000	29,000	29,000	29,000	29,000
28	Afghanistan	32,000	33,139	41,855	19,000	41,871	14,000	23,361
29	Vietnam	21,250	24,087	27,836	23,669	23,234	22,051	22,730
30	Venezuela	14,041	14,141	22,263	21,038	21,802	22,000	21,748
31	Yemen	19,676	21,639	21,820	19,583	18,709	20,209	19,634
32	Türkiye	17,437	16,893	18,648	17,657	17,366	16,190	16,836
33	Uzbekistan	9,578	13,924	12,774	15,697	14,239	16,652	15,737
34	Bolivia	13,716	15,842	13,076	14,046	12,327	13,931	13,473
35	Sri Lanka	8,589	6,085	8,223	11,999	10,230	11,352	11,145
36	Zimbabwe	0	0	5,037	11,802	8,000	12,000	10,760
37	Cambodia	11,000	9,600	10,776	10,638	10,000	10,000	10,128
38	South Korea	12,727	12,986	6,795	10,090	11,679	8,972	10,008
39	Benin	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000
40	Syria	2,533	4,005	11,660	11,591	7,910	9,380	9,381
41	Laos	16,235	12,100	10,522	8,720	8,800	8,998	8,883
42	Malawi	2,932	3,843	4,731	5,873	7,031	8,498	7,533
43	Eritrea	4,886	4,796	4,825	5,063	5,054	5,046	5,052
44	DR Congo	4,591	4,563	4,578	4,591	4,577	4,563	4,572
45	Haiti	4,130	4,159	4,179	4,186	4,199	4,212	4,203
46	Colombia	4,175	4,629	4,043	3,360	3,950	4,589	4,151
47	Saudi Arabia	3,085	4,119	4,012	4,088	4,095	4,166	4,129
48	Sierra Leone	3,429	3,469	3,490	3,526	3,558	3,525	3,535
49	Kenya	8,496	10,658	10,773	2,845	3,192	3,645	3,349
50	Guinea	2,523	2,600	4,400	3,426	3,103	3,351	3,291
51	Angola	3,168	3,186	3,243	3,222	3,235	3,248	3,239
52	Ivory Coast	3,040	3,023	2,921	2,881	2,942	2,914	2,916
53	Nicaragua	4,145	4,272	4,291	4,536	3,866	1,655	2,894
54	Taiwan	1,886	2,104	2,274	1,932	1,805	2,033	1,945
55	Togo	1,834	1,786	1,884	1,903	1,916	1,929	1,920
56	Iraq	1,980	2,923	5,665	2,134	2,040	782	1,430
57	Gambia	717	1,014	1,238	1,313	1,287	1,248	1,273
58	Honduras	1,300	1,140	1,147	1,196	1,161	1,168	1,171
59	Tajikistan	659	1,642	1,291	1,129	1,064	1,138	1,114
60	El Salvador	1,014	1,789	1,250	1,136	925	780	895
61	Morocco	798	798	663	633	280	280	351
62	Congo	276	276	274	273	272	271	271
63	Peru	378	398	305	379	291	212	269
64	Palestine	370	280	280	136	222	258	223
65	Lebanon	180	180	190	190	187	175	182
66	Costa Rica	156	159	156	157	158	157	157
67	Jordan	103	0	0	139	41	48	64
68	Israel	49	49	47	48	48	48	48
69	North Macedonia	42	43	42	42	42	42	42
70	Ecuador	18	18	18	18	18	18	18
71	Japan	14	14	14	14	14	14	14