RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE) reported that, between 2020 and 2021, Bolivia exported 22,127 tons of sesame for a value of US$41 million, a record figure compared to previous years.
According to a report of that entity, in 2020, the country sold to the international market 10,090 tons of that grain for US$19 million, while in November 2021, it sold 12,037 tons for US$22 million.
In line with what was communicated by IBCE, it was noted that “between 2011 and 2020, sesame exports accumulated US$114 million and 60,000 tons. In the years 2020 and 2021 (as of November), this food recorded record export figures”.
The markets that mainly demanded Bolivian sesame in 2021 were China, Japan, the Netherlands, the United States, Mexico, and Peru.
“Since 2020, China displaced Japan and consolidated as the country’s main sesame buyer, concentrating 29% of the total. As of November 2021, almost half of the sesame exports left through the Iquique – Pisiga – Bella Vista route,” he detailed.
Last year, for the first time, the departments of Cochabamba, Tarija, and Chuquisaca recorded sesame exports. The region of Santa Cruz was the largest trader of this food to the international market.