Tanzania, May 9 -- Songwe. Sesame farmers in Songwe Region earned more than Sh3 billion during the opening auction of the 2026/27 trading season held on Friday, May 8, 2026, signalling a strong start for the crop in the Southern Highlands.

The auction, conducted through a digital trading platform, saw 1,923 tonnes of sesame sold within hours, with more than 10 companies participating in the exercise.

Speaking during the auction, the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) senior business operations officer, Ms Justa Martini, said the market response was encouraging, with competition among buyers helping to push prices higher.

"Today we held the first sesame auction for Songwe Region. We brought 1,923 tonnes to the market and the auction wen...