Brazil takes off as global sesame supplier

The country is already the second-largest exporter of the grain, supplying markets such as China and the Arab world. The production surge occurred with the sof ctart ommercial-scale cultivation in Mato Grosso state.

By Isaura Daniel
26/09/2025 Updated:26/09/2025
6 Mins Read

São Paulo – Brazil has radically changed its position in the international sesame market over the past ten years, moving from a minor role to become the seventh-largest producer in the world and the second-largest exporter. The opening of the Chinese market at the end of last year boosted the country’s exports, but other regions, such as Arab countries, have also discovered Brazilian sesame and increasingly source it from Brazil.

Data compiled by Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services show that Brazil exported USD 280.6 million worth of sesame seeds from January to August this year, more than double—127% higher—than in the same period last year. The volume shipped to the international market rose from 82,000 metric tons in the first eight months of 2024 to 239,700 tons in the same months of 2025, an increase of 190%, nearly tripling.

The leap to this level of exports began to take shape at the end of the 2010s, when Brazil moved away from small-scale cultivation, which was mainly carried out in the Northeast region, and transitioned to commercial-level production in the Center-West region, according to agronomist Nair Arriel, coordinator of the Sesame Genetic Improvement Program and general manager at the Cotton Science unit of Brazil’s state-run agricultural center Embrapa in Campina Grande, Paraíba.

“Until about 10 years ago, Brazil accounted for less than 1% of the planted area, production, and exports. Around 74 countries cultivate sesame, and 95% of them are in Africa and Asia. Brazil has always been a very small player. However, since 2018, a new phase of sesame cultivation has begun,” she says. The change was driven by strong international sesame prices and the plant’s characteristics, including tolerance to water stress and low humidity, a short growth cycle, and adaptability to different soil and climate conditions.

More:
https://anba.com.br/en/brazil-takes-off-as-global-sesame-supplier/