Oil Seeds & Edible Oils

Sesame

Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of the oil seeds. It is a high value cash crop. Global sesame prices having steadily soured since 2010 on the backdrop of continued high demand from Asia – Japan and China in particular.

Sub-Saharan Africa produces good commercially-viable quantities of sesame seed with Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda the main producers.

We have established contacts with farmers in the main producing regions of these countries. Sesame is highly tolerant to drought like conditions, and grows where other crops may fail, making it a very reliable cash crop for farmers in the region.

Sesame seed is a common ingredient in various cuisines. It is used whole in cooking for its rich nutty flavour. Sesame seeds are sometimes added to breads, including bagels and the tops of hamburger buns.

As with other grain products, the pricing is heavily influenced by availability, physical descriptions and on quality specifications.

Soybeans & Soybeans Oil

Soybeans are the major component in corn-soy blend (CSB) which is a processed commodity used by Aid organizations as an effective protein source in areas and countries of nutritional deficit.

Current production of soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil is projected to grow through 2025. Soybean production strives to meet consumption, but soybean oil consumption will outpace production by the reference year.

The sub-Sahara African region remains a net-importer of Soybean oil.

Sunflower Seed & Oil

Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil extracted from sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for sunflower oil. Measures such as the development of hybrid sunflowers to increase oil production have been introduced to meet this demand.

In the sub-Saharan region, Tanzania is the leading producer of sunflower seed and ranks among the world’s best producers of the seed. Processing of the sunflower seed though, is a highly capital intensive affair and requires high technology and specialized knowledge, the absence of this in the region make it remain a net importer of the oil.