With a $26 billion industry globally expected by 2025, Australian agricultural analysts say there is a massive opportunity for the sesame industry to develop locally.
AgriFutures Australia, together with the Cooperative Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) and CQUniversity (CQU) have just launched a Sesame Central Research and Innovation Hub, to be based out of CQ's Rockhampton base.
Sesame has been found to have a sound agronomic fit in the dry tropical environment of Central Queensland, with the prospect of shorter season varieties being adapted to areas further south.
With investment in new high-yielding, non-shattering varieties the promising industry is full of confidence, particularly now the previously delicate plants can be mechanically harvested, keeping costs down.
The new centre will help administer research under the auspices of programs such as AgriFutures' $2 million sesame research project and CRCNA's $2m investment in the Great Northern Spices Program, which looks at both black and white sesame, kalonji, also known as nigella or black cumin and fennel.
The primary focus for the sesame industry will be to service the domestic market.
Currently the majority of whole sesame and sesame products are imported into Australia, predominantly from Africa and Asia.
In 2020, Australia imported more than 13,000 tonnes of sesame worth $57.25 million.
If farmers are able to produce reasonable tonnages of the crop there is definitely an attractive market signal, with prices up to $2000 a tonne at a farmgate level.
Sesame was identified by experts as a crop suited to Australian conditions due to its heat and drought tolerance.
It is hoped it will fit into broadacre cropping systems as a break crop.
And there are hopes farmers further south will be able to produce the crop, used widely in a range of cuisines.
CQUniversity lead researcher, Tieneke Trotter, said new genetic material with a shorter growing season was being looked at.
"Sesame is traditionally grown in northern Australia, a key aim for us is to investigate new genetic lines with a shorter growing season which will allow sesame to be grown in more southern areas,"Dr Trotter said.
AgriFutures Australia emerging industries senior program manager Olivia Reynolds, said the ready and waiting domestic market represented a clear opportunity for local growers.
"Sesame is an attractive commercial proposition for growers, so it's essential that they have the tools and information available to capitalise on this production opportunity," said Dr Reynolds.
"In supporting the industry to scale-up production, it's essential that farmers have access to new research, giving them the tools available so that sesame is an option for diversification or can fit within existing broadacre cropping systems across northern, and even parts of southern Queensland and New South Wales."
CRCNA chair, Sheriden Morris, said it was exciting to see the development of a new crop for northern Australia that will provide diversification opportunities for farming businesses in the north.
"With the help of investment from international seed companies, the sesame industry has gained a foothold in Australia and the focus now is to scale-up production of this high-value crop," said Ms Morris.
Different sesame varieties produce either black or white seed, which can be sold as seed for human or animal consumption, or processed into oil, paste (tahini) or flour, or used as a flavouring in confectionary.