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Sesame Blooms in Central African Republic as Diversification and Forex Avenue
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Sesame Blooms in Central African Republic as Diversification and Forex Avenue

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Sesame cultivation is emerging as a key strategy for economic diversification and foreign exchange earnings in the Central African Republic (CAR).
  • Farmers are shifting to sesame production due to its profitability and ease of cultivation, organizing into cooperatives to meet growing demand.
  • Despite increased production, concerns remain about low prices paid to farmers by international buyers and insufficient tax revenue for the government.

Sesame cultivation is blossoming in the Central African Republic (CAR), offering a vital pathway for economic diversification and securing much-needed foreign currency. This shift is driven by a relative improvement in security and a growing interest from foreign investors, though experts caution about the low prices paid to local producers and insufficient tax collection.

Before, we cultivated cotton and beans. But, lately, what gives us a lot of money is sesame.

— Georgine FéliminitiaDescribing the shift in crop focus and the profitability of sesame.

In markets like Gouzé, located in the Paoua sub-prefecture, sesame trading is booming. Farmers like Georgine Féliminitia, who previously grew cotton and beans, now find sesame far more lucrative. "Buyers come from various localities in Bangui and also from Chad," she noted. Responding to the high demand, farmers have formed cooperatives to cultivate larger areas, enabling individuals like Féliminitia to build new homes and fund their children's education.

Buyers come from various localities of Bangui and also from Chad.

— Georgine FéliminitiaHighlighting the market demand for sesame.

Ferdinand Yangassengué, head of a local agricultural cooperative, echoed this sentiment. His cooperative prioritized sesame over traditional crops like cotton or cassava after government subsidies were reduced. "Sesame doesn't wait. Buyers come to our homes, despite the poor state of the roads, to pay in cash. That's why our cooperative puts all its energy into it," he stated. Sesame is favored for its rapid growth, ease of cultivation, and versatile uses, including livestock feed and cholesterol-free oil.

Sesame doesn't wait. The buyers come to our houses, despite the bad state of the roads, to pay in cash. That's why our cooperative puts all its energy into it.

— Ferdinand YangassenguéExplaining the cooperative's focus on sesame due to market accessibility and quick returns.

Raed Hariri, general director of SAGINCO, an agricultural services company, emphasized sesame's critical role in the agro-industrial sector. "This product, once intended for domestic consumption, is no longer the case today. It has become a commercial crop and offers farmers the promise of fertile land after the political and security crisis," he said. FAOSTAT data shows a progressive recovery in CAR's sesame cultivation, increasing from approximately 180,000 tons in 2020 to over 204,000 tons in 2024. However, Hariri lamented that international buyers, primarily from Asia, offer "derisory prices" to farmers and pay minimal taxes compared to their final sale prices.

Sesame has today a vital importance in the agro-industrial sector.

— Raed HaririStressing the economic significance of sesame for the CAR.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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