• Burkina Faso cuts sesame floor price by 14.4% to 535 CFA/kg
• Drop follows global surplus, weak Chinese demand, falling international prices
• Exports hit 50,000 tons in 2024 despite market challenges, strong harvest expected
  

Burkina Faso has set the minimum purchase price for sesame at 535 CFA francs per kilogram for the 2025/2026 marketing season, which officially began on Saturday, November 8. The announcement, issued by the Burkinabe Council for Agropastoral and Fisheries Sectors, marks a 14.4% decrease from the 625 CFA francs per kilogram floor price set during the previous season.

The Council explained that the lower price was set “after an analysis of market trends, to protect producers from market fluctuations and ensure a minimum income.”

The price adjustment comes amid signs of a saturated global sesame market. In June, European commodities firm Commodity Board Europe GmbH reported a surplus expected in 2025, driven by increased production in several African countries, which has pushed international prices down. An October 31 market bulletin from independent consultancy N’kalo noted that weak demand from China, the main driver of the global sesame trade, continues to weigh heavily on prices.

 “With no sign of a short-term demand recovery in the Chinese market, the downward price trend in the international market is expected to continue in the coming weeks,” the report said. “Some quotes for West African white sesame are already below $1,000 per ton FOB, a drop of $300 per ton (about 170 CFA francs per kg) compared with the same period last year.”

Despite the challenging market, authorities remain confident about the harvest outlook. The Council’s statement said the “2025-2026 season offers promising prospects for producers and stakeholders across the value chain.”

Although no official figures have been released, Burkina Faso’s sesame sector has been expanding steadily. Data from the Export Promotion Agency (APEX) show that sesame production rose 32.6%, from 186,449 tons in 2021 to 247,157 tons in 2023. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the country exported nearly 50,000 tons of sesame seeds in 2024, earning 43.1 billion CFA francs ($76 million) in revenue.

Stéphanas Assocle