Sesame Crop Ideal for Climate Change

As a way of diversifying the economy from heavy reliance on “Copper” production and exports, agriculture has become the second major source of livelihood and income serving as a potential key in promoting Zambia’s economic growth.

However, as climate change continues to have far-reaching and greater impact on agriculture and crop production in particular, some farmers have decided to take on more resilient farming practices in response to the on-growing challenge.

It’s for this reason that Kakomwe Marvin Brown, a Zambian entrepreneur based in Lusaka begun running ‘Sesoils Agro Processing Company’, located in Mumbwa District.

The company specialized in growing sesame seeds for the production of hair oil, hair food and body butter was registered in 2014 but only recently started producing hair products and body butter in March 2019.

According to Mr. Kokomwe his grandmother who had hypertension was behind his interest in sesame seeds because she used to harvest the crop on a small scale and it had no negative impact on her BP after consumption.

“I realized the seed had so much potential because of its rich potent nutrients and minerals, more so because it did not seem to have negative effects on my grandmother’s health, i then begun to think of how the seed could be incorporated into the cosmetic industry, particularly in hair and skin,” he explained.

It was from there that he began researching on the properties of the seeds, how best it could work, the best soils and suitable weather conditions.

However, along the way he met Charles Wamulange who was making hair food and body butter from the Mungongo plant also known as Munketti found in parts of Southern Africa.

The two partnered and merged their ideas to form ‘Mungongo sesame oil body butter ’which they started producing in February 2019.

The sesame seeds have an oil composition of 53.1% which the company uses to make end products by use of an expeller to extract the oil in its raw natural form to maintain its peroxide and nutritional value.

According to Mr kakomwe the body butter also saves as sun screen a compound which protects the skin against ultra violet Rays (UV), the hair oil/food promotes hair growth by opening up the hair follicles, reducing breakage, killing bacteria that forms dandruff and can be used as a carrier oil because it penetrates the skin easily.

“Iregard our products as the best skin and hair product on the market because feed back has been very positive and almost everyone that has used it has called back for more,” he said.  

He also explained that Sesoils Agro was contributing positively to the growth of the economy by creating employment through the Out Grower Scheme, conducting various trainings, giving prizes to the best distributor of the season and best up coming sesame seed farmer among others.

However, Mr. Marvin expressed his disappoint at the lack of competition for the seed on the market despite it being a cash crop because most people did not know how to grow the crop and lacked the right connection to sell or export it.  

He went on to say that distribution of the product was also difficult because large chain stores where only willing to buy the product at a cheap price.

“I consider the project a multimillion dollar project that we intend to promote country wide to raise awareness because it’s a high value gold crop that has the potential to contribute to the country’s economy with the right investment,” Mr. Brown emphasized.

The founder of Sesoils Agro further, urged other farmers to grow the crop because it was a drought resistant crop that would survive the drastic effects of climate change that the world was experiencing.

He stated that the best area to grow the seed was Chirundu or any other valley like setups because of their high temperature.

Sesame seeds have been used in cosmetics industries, as a food grade and as traditional medicine since the millennial times.

The tiny rich oil seeds found on the Sesamum Indicum plant have multiple health benefits which include protection from heart disease, diabetes and arthritis among others.  

Preparation of the ground for planting is just like any other method and the crop has two varieties which include early and late maturity which grow under early or middle December rainfall.

Germination period takes 4 to 7 days and 90 to 125 days before maturation. However, the first 35 days are the most critical stage because growth is slow and the seed is vulnerable hence, for it to germinate the temperature and moisture content has to be correct because the plant thrives under high temperature.

‍