The first exchange auction lands 1,293 MT of Songwe sesame seeds on the TMX platform May 8, 2026, signalling the start of a season expected to outpace last year in volume. Here is what the opening catalogue reveals and what to watch as the season unfolds.
Tanzania’s sesame trading season officially kicked off today, Friday 8 May 2026, with the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) opening bidding on Catalogue TMX/SNG/SORECU/2026/SS-001 — a 20-lot offering from the Songwe Region Co-operative Union (SORECU). The session runs from 14:00 EAT, under an all-or-none trading rule, meaning each lot must be taken in full by a single buyer. For traders and off-takers active in the East African sesame corridor, this catalogue is the market’s opening signal.
What the opening catalogue contains
All 20 lots originate from Songwe Region — one of Tanzania’s key sesame belts — and are stored across four licensed warehouses: Chang’ombe, Emily Brotherhood, Isanzu, and Malangali Mpona, alongside six lots from Senenda. Together they carry a combined 25,863 bags and 1,293,103 kg of sesame seed.
Quality readings in the catalogue are broadly competitive. Moisture content sits predominantly between 4.7% and 7.6% — within acceptable export bands — while purity levels across most sub-lots are in the 97%–99% range. Notably, white sesame lots from Senenda warehouses record 99%–100% white seed composition, which is the grade most demanded by Chinese and Japanese processors. Chang’ombe and Emily Brotherhood lots carry mixed brown and black seed proportions, which are still tradable but will typically attract a modest price adjustment.
What buyers pay beyond the hammer price
The catalogue specifies an all-inclusive charge structure that buyers must account for on top of their bid price. These are not negotiable and are collected at settlement:
- Cooperative societies administration: TZS 100/kg
- Warehouse operator: TZS 37.5/kg
- Inspection: TZS 2/kg
- Warehouse crop storage guarantee: TZS 3.5/kg
- Transportation: TZS 50/kg
- Trading administration: TZS 5/kg
- Region & district administration: TZS 4/kg
- Bags: TZS 20/kg
- Crop development: TZS 30/kg
- Total (+ 3% CESS): TZS 252 +3%
Payment must be completed within 72 working hours of receiving the signed sales invoice. Late payments attract a 5% penalty on the unpaid balance, and persistent default results in forfeiture of the security deposit and re-auction of the lot. Prices are quoted ex-warehouse (EXW), so logistics from Songwe to Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, or other ports are at the buyer’s cost.
The broader season context
The 2026/27 campaign opens on a more optimistic production footing than last year. Tanzania’s most recent completed season recorded approximately 257,040 tonnes nationally, and output this cycle is widely expected to grow further following government-backed seed distribution programmes managed through COPRA. Songwe, Momba, and adjacent districts are set to benefit from expanded warehouse infrastructure — a direct operational improvement by SORECU aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and auction bottlenecks.
Global pricing, however, presents a more nuanced picture. Average farm gate prices in Tanzania rose marginally from around TZS 3,000/kg in 2023/24 to roughly TZS 3,144/kg in 2024/25, before contracting to approximately TZS 2,329/kg in 2025/26. The underlying driver is global competition: expanded Brazilian and Sudanese output has eroded the scarcity premiums Tanzania once enjoyed. International wholesale benchmarks for standard white sesame are currently estimated at USD 1,800–2,300 per tonne on major trade lanes, with certified, traceable lots commanding the upper end of that range.
On the demand side, the structural case for East African sesame remains intact. China continues to anchor global import volumes, with Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and the EU also representing significant offtake. Importantly, aflatoxin compliance requirements enforced by the EU and Japan are increasingly rewarding traceable, well-graded origins — a space where Tanzania’s warehouse receipt system gives it a structural advantage over less-organized competitors.
LICO’s read on the season
At LICO Global, we see the 2026/27 sesame season as one where quality differentiation and speed of settlement will separate competitive buyers from the rest. The opening TMX lots from Songwe offer a reliable, well-documented supply base, with quality parameters that meet core export specifications. Buyers who move early, particularly on Senenda’s white sesame lots, are best positioned to secure grade-premium product before mid-season price adjustments set in.
We will continue tracking auction results, price formation, and regional production data across the season. If you are looking to source Tanzanian sesame seed — whether for direct export, processing, or as part of a commodity portfolio — our trading desk is available to assist with market intelligence, sourcing, and logistics coordination. Contact us through E mail info@lico.co.tz or WhatsApp: +255750160116