June 20

ALTHOUGH the wholesale reference price of palm oil is set at K 5,645 per viss, it is around 8,000 kyats in the market, and the people are increasing the consumption of domestically-produced sesame and sunflower oils, which has led to an increase in oilseeds growing locally. Sunflower, which has a good oil yield, has been planted more in most of the regions this year.

iss of peanut seeds yields 40 ticals of oil. This month, a viss of peanut oil is between K 8,500 and K11,000; a viss of sesame oil is between K 8,000 and K 9,000; and a viss of sunflower oil is between K 8,000 and K 9,000, according to the oil market.

Sesame cultivation in Myanmar accounts for about a half of oilseeds, and Myanmar is the world’s third-largest sesame producer, said U Aung San, an agronomist. For about 30 years, local sesame cultivation has been successful on only a half of the total sown acreage due to the weather.

“Thus, the notion that sesame seeds do not match expectations is becoming more and more popular. If you invest one kyat in sesame cultivation, you can get 3 kyats,” said U Aung San, adding that one acre can produce 60 acres of sesame. Khin Maung Myint, a farmer in Nyaungbintha village, Pale Township, said that stocks of sesame plants can be used as agricultural fertilizer.

One basket of sesame seeds can be produced as six visses of oil, one basket of peanut seeds two visses of oil, one basket of sunflower seeds 2.50 visses of oil and one basket of hybrid sunflower seeds around 4.50 visses of oil, respectively

In the 2020-2021 FY, 0.18 million tonnes of sesame was exported to earn worth $ 236.33 million.

Since the beginning of 2022, some cyclones have triggered some rainfalls in the upper part of the country, making it convenient for sesame growers. The yields of same seeds are expected to be good by mid2022.—TWA/GNLM