Gov. Buni Unlocking The Rich Potential in Yobe’s Golden Sesame Seeds

Gov. Buni Unlocking the Rich Potential in Yobe’s Golden Sesame Seeds

By Usman Bello, Damaturu.

Recently, the demand for Sesame seeds in the international market has been on the increase for use in foods, confectioneries, medical consumables, cosmetics, paints and lubricants among others.

The World’s major importers of the seeds include Japan, China, Turkey, India, Qatar Poland and the Netherlands with mouth watering prices depending on the quality.

According to data from the Food and Agricultural Organization, the demand for sesame seeds is also high locally in Nigeria with the production still far less than the demand.

In Africa, countries like Ghana, Ethiopia and Benin Republic, are making brisk business with increased foreign exchange earnings through Sesame seeds production.

Interestingly, farmers in Yobe state have now taken to sesame seeds cultivation, and mostly with very good yields. The climatic condition and agricultural empowerment support programme of the Yobe state government have contributed immensely to the good harvests across the state.

A few years back, Sesame seeds farmers in the state were grossly exploited by Middlemen from the Dawano Grains market, who pursued the farmers to their yet to be harvested farms, taking advantage of the then poor roads and absence of processing plants in the state to buy the farmlands, harvest and take the seeds to Dawano for exports .

It is gratifying that the scenario is changing with the construction of road networks across the state by the Gov. Buni’s administration, opening up the rural areas for easy transportation of harvests, goods and services.

The establishment of Sesame Seeds processing and packaging plants in Machina, Nguru, Potiskum and Damaturu by the state government to meet international standards would attract international merchants with huge direct and indirect investments to the state.

Similarly, the provision of warehouses at the new Modern Markets in Nguru, Potiskum, Gashua, Damaturu, Geidam, Yunusari, Buni Yadi and Ngalda provides farmers and home based merchants with safe and reliable storage facilities saving them from disposing off their harvests cheaply, immediately after harvests.

The combination of these factors serve as incentives to encourage farmers, and especially Yobe youth to embrace and expand the production of Sesame seeds in Yobe state to boost individual purchasing power, the state and national economy.

It is evidently clear that the road networks, the four Sesame seeds processing and packaging plants, the storage facilities and the international cargo airport have given Yobe state an added advantage over and above other states like Jigawa and Benue states in production of Sesame seeds.

This cumulative intervention is fast turning Yobe State into Nigeria’s leading hub in sesame seeds production with great potential for export to feed the international market.