SYDNEY, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Australia's first commercial crop of black sesame has been harvested in the northern state of Queensland, with farmers and scientists pleased at how the plant fared in the hot and dry conditions.
Black sesame is considered a high value crop for its extensive use in cooking across Asia, currently carrying a price tag of around 1,160 U.S. dollars per tonne.
Peter Foxwell who farmed the experimental harvest told Xinhua on Monday that he was delighted with how the black sesame performed despite a severe lack of rain in the area.
"We haven't had good rain since the start of February when our sesame was planted," Foxwell said.
"We had rain the week after it was planted and then following that we had no rainfall until after it was harvested."
Dr. Surya Bhattarai from Central Queensland University said the black sesame was highly suitable for the states agriculture industry due to its "drought tolerance and versatility to fit into cropping rotation."
Overall agriculture experts believe that it could prove a highly valuable earner for the drought prone farmers of Australia, eventually providing for the domestic market and seeking to branch out into the lucrative export market throughout Asia.
