Moroccan sesame: Current situation, challenges, and recommended actions for its development

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most recommended oil crops due to its nutritional and medicinal properties. It is a tropical and subtropical plant; however, it is also cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, including Morocco. Nevertheless, the sesame crop in this country faces many constraints and challenges that restrict its production potential. The objective of this study is to present the situation of sesame production in Morocco during the last twenty years by describing and discussing the seed production, the harvested area, the value of imports, and the most important challenges. Also, some relevant strategies and measures to counteract these constraints and, thus, improve sesame production have been proposed and discussed. To make a fair diagnosis, a survey was carried out among 33 sesame producers in the Tadla area, in addition to the national and international databases that were consulted. The results showed that sesame area and production dropped markedly between 2000 and 2020. As a result, the import quantities and values have been significantly and gradually increased during the same period. The observed decline in both the area and the production may be due to several constraints including recurrent drought, restricted supply in irrigation water, poor cultural practices, low-yielding cultivars, and pests and diseases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for scientific research in terms of breeding to develop and release high-performing and adapted varieties and crop management to find and adopt the best cultural practices. Besides, sesame producers should organize themselves in associations or cooperatives to ensure an added value of their production and improve their profit margin and income. All these actions and measures would be able to promote and develop the sesame sector in Morocco to meet and satisfy the high domestic and global demand for this precious and valuable seed.