Brazil and China sign agreement for sesame exports

Last Wednesday (20), Brazil and China signed a historic agreement for the export of sesame. The agreement was signed during the bilateral meeting between Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping, in Brasília. In addition to sesame, the market was also opened for three other new products from Brazilian agriculture - fresh grapes, sorghum and fish derivatives.

The protocols signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) establish the phytosanitary and sanitary requirements for the export of products.

As the world's largest sesame importer, with a 36,2% share of global sesame imports, China spent US$1,53 billion in 2023 on the purchase of this product. Brazil, which ranked seventh in exports, representing 5,31% of world trade, has been increasing its pulse planting area. Exports of the product jumped from US$79 million in 2021 to US$245 million by October 2024, reflecting a growth of 210%.

Sesame has been gaining ground in Brazilian crops as a second-harvest crop. Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro highlighted that the opening of this market is in line with the growth of national production, which increased 104% last year. According to Conab, for the 2023/24 harvest, production is estimated at 360 thousand tons, an increase of 228% compared to 2021. Mato Grosso leads the ranking of largest producers, with 246 thousand tons, representing 46,7% of national production.

In addition to Mato Grosso, other centers of sesame production are emerging, such as Goiás, Pará and Tocantins. There is also potential for production in Bahia, Minas Gerais, Maranhão and Rondônia.

Sesame cultivation course

To assist producers who wish to invest in planting this crop that is on the rise in Brazil, Embrapa is offering a new free course, "Sesame cultivation in the Brazilian Cerrado" on its e-campo online training platform. The training is aimed at farmers in the Cerrado biome, technicians and agents of technical assistance and rural extension (ATER) who are not yet familiar with sesame cultivation or who have already introduced the crop into their production system and are seeking to deepen and update their knowledge about this crop.