A factory built by the Export Trading Group (ETG) in Mozambique’s Nampula province has capacity to process 12,000 tons of sesame per year and is considered to be the second largest of its kind in Africa, according to Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias.

Built in the city of Nacala-Porto, the factory required investment of US$6 million and its raw materials are purchases directly from producers for between 0.35 meticals to 0.50 meticals per kilo. Last season ETG spent US$25 million on sesame, according to its manager Skrinkantha Naik.

After processing, which mainly involves cleaning the seeds, the company exports the sesame to the international market, specifically to the Netherlands and to Japan.

According to the newspaper, Mozambican farmers feel encouraged to produce sesame crops as the price paid for the product is considered satisfactory compared to other more traditional cash crops such as cotton and tobacco.

ETG sells agricultural products on the international market and it buys sesame in the northern provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado and in the central provinces of Tete, Sofala, Manica and Zambézia. (macauhub/MZ)