One of the factors holding back sesame cultivation in Ukraine is the lack of appropriate mechanisms for harvesting this crop.

This was reported by Vera Konovalova, deputy director for scientific work of the Askaniy State Agricultural Experimental Station, which is engaged in the cultivation of sesame in the Kherson region.

According to her, the boxes of most sesame varieties crack when fully ripened, which can cause significant crop losses.

“For farms that own small areas, this will not be a problem, because seeds can be harvested even manually or by shifting to a current,” said Vera Konovalova.

At the same time, large farms will have to go for the full maturation of sesame seeds and put up with some loss of seeds, or use desiccants.

“This is not very useful for a food product, however, when we import seeds from other countries, they are definitely etched from moths and other pests,” Vera Konovalova emphasized.

Earlier it was reported that in addition to the Askaniya experimental station, nobody cultivates sesame in Ukraine anymore. This year, station employees planted a 2.5 ha crop. Next year they plan to increase the cultivated area under crops and eventually reach the processing of raw materials.