Tamil Nadu Agricultural University projects black sesame prices between ₹140 and ₹145 per kg for the upcoming harvest. Based on 25 years of market data from Erode, the advisory serves as a planning guide for farmers while highlighting India's significant role in global sesame exports.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has released a pre-sowing price forecast for black sesame, estimating that high-grade seeds could trade between ₹140 and ₹145 per kilogram during the upcoming harvest season. This advisory is designed to help farmers make informed decisions about their crop planning before the sowing period begins.
The price projection was developed by the Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) at the university’s Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies. To ensure the reliability of the forecast, the team analyzed 25 years of historical price trends specifically from the Sivagiri Regulated Market in the Erode district, which serves as a significant hub for this commodity.
India remains a dominant force in the global sesame market, currently contributing approximately 12.9 percent of the total world production. The crop is highly valued both domestically and internationally, with key export destinations including the United States, South Korea, and Russia. Within India, sesame is grown across both kharif and rabi seasons, with states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu being major producers. The crop's preference among farmers is often tied to its durability and relative tolerance to drought conditions compared to other oilseeds.
While the TNAU forecast provides a reference point, the university also cautioned that actual market prices are subject to volatility. The final trading prices during the harvest will depend on two critical factors: the performance of the monsoon rains and the total volume of sesame arriving in markets from other major producing states. Heavy rains or sudden shifts in supply can disrupt these price estimates, as market rates are highly sensitive to the balance of demand and supply at the time of arrival.
For those tracking agricultural markets or the broader rural economy, the key monitorables will be the actual rainfall distribution during the growing season and reports on sowing acreage across major producing hubs. These factors will determine whether the market stays within the projected price range or faces pressure from supply-side fluctuations.