Reviewed of Sesame Crop Harvesting in Sudan: Trials, Difficulties and Future Prospects

Abstract

The main target of this survey is to highlight the significance of sesame crop, production status, harvesting attempts previously tried and difficulties associated with the crop harvesting in the Sudan. Besides it is unlimited domestic benefits and various uses, the crop production has a direct influence on the livelihood and subsistence of small holder farmer’s. Not only, but also it represents one of the most important oil seeds for hard currency earning. The crop is cultivated extensively on approximately more than three million feddans. However, different reports and statistics indicate that the crop exports and market prices fluctuating annually despite its global demand. These instable exports were due to the yearly variation in production which resulted from many problems encounters commercial production. Regardless of the agronomic and environmental factors, the strongest factors affecting sesame cultivation are high rate of harvesting cost and shortage of labor at harvest time. Farmers are permanently confronted with a state of panic and stress at harvesting due to critical harvest period and high and increasingly cutting cost. These problems result mainly from shattering varieties used, scarcity of labor and lack of appropriate harvesting machine. Accordingly, the area under the crop and productivity were remarkably declined over the last few years. Therefore, to increase crop productivity and quality and achieve stable production, a collective efforts of all stake holders and researchers are needed to develop high yielding widely adapted varieties with better disease resistance and convenient for machine applicability, particularly harvest operation.