If you’re trying to find a product that’s in high demand and has a high profit margin to build a business around sesame seeds are worth taking a serious look at. Pakistan grows this crop in all four provinces there are buyers looking for dependable suppliers and the profit margins are some of the best in the agricultural export industry. This guide explains everything you need to know. From learning about the product to finding buyers and making your shipment.
What Are Sesame Seeds Why Do They Matter?
Sesame seeds (often listed in trade documents as ” sesame seed,” “natural sesame seed,” or just “sesame seed“) are small round seeds that many people know from sweets and baked goods.. The real commercial value comes from what they make: sesame oil.
Sesame oil is valued for its quality. The seed has an oil content of about 50–58%. The oil that is extracted has a protein content of around 20–22%. Because of these features sesame is often called the “Queen of Oilseeds” in the trade.
The crop grows well in hot climates, which makes the growing conditions in Pakistan especially good, for it.
Industries That Use Sesame Seeds and Oil
Sesame is very flexible. That is one of the reasons it is such a powerful product to export. Major industries that depend on it are:
- Food industry – used a lot in cooking and preparing meals
- Bakery industry – put on buns and used in kinds of baked foods
- Oil industry – made into a special oil for cooking
- Cosmetics industry – added into different beauty and skin care products
- Pharmaceutical or medical uses – mixed into some kinds of medicine
In addition to the business uses sesame oil is also appreciated for health advantages how it helps reduce bad cholesterol because it has a lot of protein.
Market Size and Global Demand
The way Pakistans sesame exports are growing shows the story. In 2020 sesame oil exports from Pakistan were worth about $89 million. By 2023 that number went up to about $407 million. A change in just three years.
This kind of growth shows that there is lasting interest from other countries and people who work in the industry think this trend will keep going. Even though there is this interest the amount of sesame that Pakistan can supply is still less than what the world wants which means there is a chance for new sellers to enter and take that place.
Top Countries Importing Sesame Seeds from Pakistan
Pakistan sends sesame to different countries, including the USA, UK, China, Poland, Japan, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, France, Canada, Georgia, Taiwan, Croatia, Lebanon, Oman and Germany.
Out of all these places five countries are the buyers:
- USA – the biggest buyer
- Netherlands
- Afghanistan
- Germany
- China
If you have a small budget for marketing it is best to focus your first efforts and ads, on these five countries. That is the way to reach real buyers quickly.
Where to Find Sesame Seeds in Pakistan
One of the benefits of sesame as an export product is how easy it is to find across Pakistan. You can find it grown in all four provinces:
- Punjab – in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhakkar and Faisalabad
- Sindh – in Tharparkar, Dadu and Hyderabad
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) – mainly in D.I. Khan and Kohat
- Balochistan – in Nasirabad and Lasbela
Buying directly from farmers in these areas – instead of going through middlemen – helps increase your profits and chances of success because you avoid extra costs along the way. You can also get sesame directly from processing factories if you want to work with a product that is already sorted and ready to send
Global Competition Who Else Is Selling Sesame
It is important to know where Pakistan stands in the world. The leading countries that export sesame are:
- Sudan – the exporter providing about 70% of the worlds needs by itself
- India
- Nigeria
- Ethiopia
- Myanmar
Pakistan is not yet in the top five, which shows there is a lot of potential, for growth. And that now is a good time for new exporters to get involved.
How Money Do You Need To Start Sesame Seed Exports
You do not need a lot of money to start exporting sesame seeds. To get started you will need around PKR 1–1.6 lakh. However if you want to export a container of sesame seeds it can cost up to PKR 1 crore. This depends on the country you are sending the sesame seeds to the cost of shipping and the quality of the sesame seeds. Since the cost can vary a lot depending on the market it is better to plan for the amount if you are exporting sesame seeds for the first time.
Profit From Sesame Seed Exports
Sesame seeds are very profitable to export. The profit margin on sesame seed exports is usually between 80% to 100%. This is very high compared to things that people export. Since there is a demand for sesame seeds all over the world and they are not hard to find exporting sesame seeds is a good business idea.
Documents Needed To Export Sesame Seeds
You do not need a lot of documents to export sesame seeds. The main documents you will need are:
- Invoice and Packing List. You can make these yourself using a template on Excel
- Certificate of Origin. The Chamber of Commerce will give you this
- Bill of Lading. Your freight forwarder will give you this
- Phytosanitary Certificate. This shows that the sesame seeds are safe to eat and meet health standards
- Fumigation Certificate. You will usually get this with the Phytosanitary Certificate, from the person who helps you with customs
Lab and Quality Testing Reports
When buyers want to buy something they often ask for lab reports to make sure the product is what they want. They want to know things like how much oil’s in it how much water is in it and how much protein is in it before they decide to buy.
- If you are buying from a factory or supplier they probably already have these lab reports..
- If you are buying directly from the people who grow the product you will have to send a sample to a lab to get the report.
There are labs like SGS and other quality testing services in many big cities in Pakistan. If there is no lab near you you can send your sample to their office like the one SGS has in Karachi pay for the test and they will send you the report. You do not have to go in person.
How to Find Buyers for Sesame Seeds
Finding people to buy your sesame seeds can be hard. It is easier than it is for some other products because many people around the world want to buy sesame seeds. Here are some things you can do to find buyers:
- Make a website for your company before you try to find buyers
- Use the internet to advertise to the countries that’re most likely to buy your sesame seeds
- List your product on websites where businesses trade with each other
- Contact the people who buy and sell seeds in the countries you want to sell to and send them information, about your product like what it is made of and if you have any certificates and offer to send them a sample.
The Export Process Step by Step
When you have your product, documentation and buyer ready the export process has four stages:
1. Getting Ready to Export
Before you talk to suppliers or buyers make sure your business is in order.
You need to do a things first:
- Register your business officially
- Get your tax number and sales tax registration
- Join the Chamber of Commerce
- Get a Professional Service Worker certificate
- Create a website for your company with all your business details, certifications and product information
This step is really important. When buyers from countries check out a new supplier they want to see if you have a real website and if your business is registered properly. If you do not have these things they might not even answer your email.. If you have a registered business, tax papers and a professional website it makes a big difference.
2. Preparing for the Market
Now that your business is set up it is time to think about the market:
- Find buyers who might be interested in your product
- Run ads in countries that might want to buy from you
- Talk to buyers. Get orders or contracts
- Figure out how you will get paid. Will it be upfront with a Letter of Credit or something else?
3. Getting the Paperwork Done
Once you have an order and you know how you will get paid:
- Make an invoice and a packing list
- If you get paid upfront go to the bank. Get a special invoice
- Find a freight forwarder to help you with the shipping. They will take care of the customs paperwork and book the shipment
- The freight forwarder will also get the documents like the Bill of Lading and the Certificate of Origin
4. Shipping the Goods
Now it is time to ship the products:
- Work with your agent to pick a day to load the goods
- If you have a container the agent will bring an empty container to your place and you can load it
- If you do not have a container you will load the goods onto a truck and take them to the agents office
- Once the goods are loaded, give them to the agent and they will take care of the rest. They will do the customs paperwork and give you the documents
Final Payment and Documents
What you do, with the final documents depends on how you get paid:
- If you get paid upfront send the documents directly to the buyer
- If you use a Letter of Credit send the documents to the bank
- If you get paid upfront and partly later send the documents to the bank
- If you get paid upfront and partly when the buyer gets the goods send the buyer a copy of the documents first then send the rest of the documents when you get the final payment
Always keep copies of the shipping documents for your records and send copies to the bank. This will protect you in case the bank needs proof of shipment later.
Final Thoughts
Exporting sesame seeds from Pakistan is an idea for people who want to start exporting. It has a lot of things going for it. There is a demand for sesame seeds all around the world and it is growing. You can easily get seeds from all four provinces in Pakistan. You do not need to invest a lot of money to start exporting sesame seeds. The paperwork is also simple.. You can make a good profit from exporting sesame seeds. This is an opportunity. The businesses that do well are the ones that do everything correctly from the beginning. Sesame seed exporting from Pakistan is an option because it has strong and growing global demand for sesame seeds.
If you are serious about exporting things you should start by registering your business and making a website for your business. Then you should figure out where you will get your seeds from. You should also start talking to people who buy sesame seeds in the countries that import the sesame seeds. The process of exporting sesame seeds is easy to follow once you know what to do. Sesame seed exporting from Pakistan can be successful if you do the things. You need to get your business registration and documentation, for sesame seed exporting. You also need to find buyers for your sesame seeds.
