DAMASSET MANAGEMENT
S.À R.L. · GENEVA
AGRICULTURE & FOOD / OILSEEDS / INDIA
DAM MARKET INTELLIGENCE · DEEP DOSSIER

Sesame
India trade system.

Sesame is not one commodity. Natural white, hulled white, black, brown and roasted seed occupy different quality envelopes, processing chains and buyer pools. DAM's commercial edge is to connect a specified lot to the right destination rather than trade an undifferentiated “sesame” price.

← Agriculture & Food desk
HS120740 — Sesamum seeds
2024–25 referenceGovernment production series must be used at the exact crop-definition level; do not mix sesame with other oilseeds.
Gujarat signalUnjha/Rajkot/Amreli processing and mandi ecosystem
StatusResearch complete · qualification active
01 / EXECUTIVE THESIS

Origin is only
the first variable.

Indian sesame becomes commercially differentiated after cleaning, hulling, sorting, food-safety control and destination compliance. Gujarat is particularly useful to DAM because an origin ecosystem and processing/export capability overlap around established oilseed markets.

Trade unitWhole seed, hulled seed and processed ingredients should be quoted and qualified separately.
Commercial bottleneckMicrobiology, residues, ETO status and representative COA can determine whether a nominally cheap lot is actually tradable.
OpportunitySpecification-led sourcing from Gujarat can be matched to food manufacturers, ingredient distributors, tahini processors and export buyers.
02 / INDIA ORIGIN

Map the
production system.

Government datasets should be read by crop definition and year. The current APEDA production database provides state-level production tables; the DAM desk records the underlying source and avoids mixing unrelated crop series.

GujaratPriority commercial corridor because Unjha is a major oilseed/agro-commodity trading centre and public processor evidence shows direct farmer sourcing, mechanical sesame hulling, pre-cleaning and Bühler colour sorting.
Other originsWest Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and other states contribute to the national supply base. State-level sourcing should be selected against buyer specification, season and delivered economics rather than production volume alone.
Insurance / policySesame is included in PMFBY notified oilseed coverage in multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat-linked oilseed systems and southern producing states; this is policy context, not evidence of current stock.
03 / VALUE CHAIN

Farm to
food ingredient.

The physical chain is: farmer → village aggregation → mandi/trader → cleaning/destoning → colour sorting → hulling where required → packing → domestic processor or export shipment. Each transformation changes both yield and the relevant specification.

NaturalWhole seed retaining the natural hull; purity, colour, size, moisture and contamination determine acceptance.
HulledMechanical/controlled hulling adds process yield, whiteness/colour and microbiological requirements.
Roasted / powderProcessed ingredients require separate food-safety, shelf-life and processing controls.
04 / SPECIFICATION

Build the
buyer's envelope.

A supplier's generic “export quality” description is insufficient. DAM should convert the buyer's requirement into a lot-level specification before asking for price.

PhysicalSeed type/colour · purity · foreign matter · admixture · damaged/insect-damaged seed · seed size · moisture · oil content.
Food safetySalmonella · E. coli/TPC/yeast & mould where required · pesticide residues · aflatoxin/mycotoxins where applicable · heavy metals · ETO treatment/residue status.
TraceabilityCrop year · origin · processor · batch/lot · representative sampling · lot-specific COA · laboratory identity and accreditation.
DestinationEU-bound trade requires the applicable IOPEPC certification and NABL laboratory/Salmonella-control framework; destination rules must be checked at contracting date.
05 / PRICE INTELLIGENCE

Price is a
signal, not a quote.

Public APMC observations show substantial dispersion by variety and market. On 24 September 2026, Gujarat observations included white sesame at ₹11,250 modal in Bagasara, white FAQ at ₹11,655 in Gondal, and black FAQ at ₹17,125 in Amreli. These are wholesale market observations, not executable export offers.

Unjha / 11 Jul 2026White sesame: ₹12,500/q modal; ₹11,400–₹12,605 range.
Unjha / 20 Jul 2026White sesame: ₹12,100/q modal; ₹8,575–₹12,500 range.
Gujarat / 24 Sep 2026State observations included ₹9,500–₹18,975 across reported varieties/markets; quality and variety explain part of the dispersion.

Price evidence: APMC-derived public market observations. Use only as market context; live supplier pricing requires quantity, grade, packing, location, delivery basis and seller authority.

06 / TRADE & COMPLIANCE

Compliance can
change the economics.

India's export classification places sesamum seeds under HS 120740. DGFT's published schedule states that exports are generally free but EU exports are subject to an IOPEPC certification regime and a Certificate of Analysis from a NABL-accredited laboratory, with the prescribed Salmonella-control procedure.

EUIOPEPC competent-authority certification; applicable laboratory analysis; Salmonella-control procedure; destination-specific pesticide-residue requirements.
RussiaDGFT schedule contains a separate pre-shipment quality-certification condition for sesame exports to Russia. Verify the current applicable schedule before shipment.
DAM ruleNever price an export lot solely from an Indian mandi benchmark. Compliance cost, yield loss, cleaning/hulling, testing, packing, inland freight, port charges, finance and rejection risk belong in delivered economics.
07 / COUNTERPARTY INTELLIGENCE

Potential suppliers,
not assumed sellers.

Public evidence establishes capability only. The qualification queue remains open until a current lot and seller authority are evidenced.

Unjha Agro CompanyUnjha, Gujarat. Publicly states direct farmer procurement, pre-cleaning, mechanical sesame hulling and Bühler colour sorting; products include hulled, natural, black, roasted and brown sesame. Contact page identifies export/import head Romal Patel. State: facility evidence.
Bansi AgroUnjha, Gujarat. Public processing/sourcing evidence recorded in the internal registry. State: facility evidence.
Geminate InternationalGujarat food-ingredient platform with whole/hulled sesame and food-safety system claims. State: facility evidence.
Sagar International / Gujarat Peanut & Agri ProductsRajkot/Padhadhari commercial processing/export lead. State: commercial activity evidence.
Rahul Agro IndustriesAjmer, Rajasthan; natural, hulled and black sesame commercial lead. State: commercial activity evidence.
08 / LIVE-LOT GATE

What we still
need to transact.

No listed counterparty is promoted to live-lot verified. The next outreach must request evidence, not merely a quotation.

LotCurrent batch/lot number, quantity in MT, stock/production date, physical location and crop year.
QualityExact seed type, purity, moisture, oil content, seed size, foreign matter, microbiology/Salmonella and relevant residue/ETO results.
AuthorityLegal identity, facility/supply control, seller authority and ability to contract the specified quantity.
CommercialPrice basis, packing, loading point, delivery/Incoterm, payment terms, inspection/assay, claims procedure and documentation.
09 / DAM EXECUTION THESIS

Don't broker
a commodity.

Broker the match between a verified specification and a verified lot. Sesame is attractive when DAM can obtain a compliant lot at a defensible origin price and place it with a buyer whose acceptance criteria are known before the commercial commitment.

  • Start with buyer specification.
  • Identify the correct seed/process track.
  • Qualify two or three competing origins.
  • Obtain representative samples and lot-specific COAs.
  • Build delivered compliant economics.
  • Contract inspection, rejection and claims mechanisms.
10 / RISK REGISTER

Where the trade
can fail.

Quality rejectionSalmonella, residues, ETO, aflatoxin or foreign matter can destroy an apparent price advantage.
Specification mismatchNatural versus hulled, white versus black, seed size and processing status must be fixed before quotation comparison.
Price basisMandi price, processor ex-works price and delivered/export price are different economic objects.
CounterpartyCapability evidence does not establish current inventory, authority, title or willingness to sell.
11 / EVIDENCE REGISTER

Primary evidence
behind the desk.

Key sources used in the current deep pass.

DGFT / APEDAITC(HS) 2023 classification and export-control conditions for HS 120740 sesame seed.
IOPEPCEU sesame export procedure, processing/warehouse registration, laboratory and pesticide-residue resources.
APEDA / GovernmentProduction datasets and agricultural trade infrastructure.
APMC-derived observationsUnjha and Gujarat sesame market observations used strictly as price signals.
Company evidenceUnjha Agro public facility/product/contact claims used only for counterparty capability qualification.