Background: West Africa’s Sahel is characterized by a dry and hot climate with limited rainfall that impairs the production of several crops. Sesame is a resilient crop that is well suited to this environment. Unfortunately, there is a lack of data relative to the status of its production in West Africa.
Could Sesame become a cash crop in West Africa’s Sahel?
In both countries, seed marketing was the main impediment the producers faced on account of a lack of reliable markets and of a considerable fluctuation in prices. Conclusions: Overall, the sesame sector is still traditional but is progressively developing and sesame could become an important cash crop for smallholders in West Africa’s Sahel.
Is Sesame still a commodity grown on a small scale?
The yield and the seasonal production of sesame per farmer was quite weak showing that this crop is still a commodity grown on a small scale. Various cultivars were grown, and the most widely grown ones have considerable levels of oil (53?60.34%) and protein (18?21.89%) contents.
Is Sesame a multi-ethnic crop?
The results showed that sesame is a multi-ethnic crop and only 20% of the total fields owned by farmers were allocated to its cultivation. The yield and the seasonal production of sesame per farmer was quite weak showing that this crop is still a commodity grown on a small scale.