Almost all of the spices used by Australians in their cooking are imported. 

Despite the nation's large agricultural industry, only 3 per cent of Australia's spices are locally grown.  

But a trial through northern Australia is trying to change that.

Led by CQ University researcher Tieneke Trotter, the team planted several crops new to Australia four years ago and narrowed it down to the best performers: black and white sesame, fennel, and kalonji — an antioxidant also known as Nigella seed.

"It's so exciting to see a new opportunity, particularly for growers in the north," Dr Trotter said.

"People are always looking for something new to try."

Sesame success 

The emerging industry is on the cusp of commercial production with Australian-grown sesame expected to hit the market as early as next year.

Seed company AgriVentis Technologies has the Australian licence for 12 different varieties of sesame.

Chief executive officer Lewis Hunter said they would develop the domestic market over the next 12 months.

"We import 100 per cent of sesame, so we want to basically target that market," he said.

Mr Hunter said the sesame market in Australia is valued between $8 million and 10 million, and that includes sesame oil, confectionery, and bakery products as well as nutritional and pharmaceutical products.

He predicted locally grown sesame would fetch a similar price to premium imported product, estimated at $2,400/tonne.

Once Australian farmers were consistently supplying the domestic market, Mr Hunter said they could focus on exports, specifically targeting sesame-oil-producing countries Japan and Korea.

"It's a premium market," he said.

"We can charge a bit more money."

Shattering versus non-shattering varieties

Sesame has a reputation for being a labour-intensive crop as "shattering" varieties are hand harvested in the countries they are grown in.

They can't be mechanically harvested because the pods break open, or "shatter," and release the seed when touched, causing significant losses while using machinery.

Non-shattering lines have been developed in Israel and the United States that can be harvested using machinery.

"That's why the industry is moving towards these non-shattering lines because that actually helps to increase the harvestability of the crop," Dr Trotter said.

Initially, the plantings in northern Australia were shattering varieties but the trials are now using non-shattering lines.

'There's a stigma'

Trial crops have been planted in Kununurra in Western Australia, Katherine in the Northern Territory, and Tully and Emerald in Queensland.

In the NT, with the sesame trials in their second year, Katherine Research Station technical officer Katie Gamble said they were still working through the planting logistics but convincing growers to plant would be their biggest challenge.

"We do have a lot of wild sesame that was brought over earlier on and has now kind of gone a bit crazy," she said.

"There's a stigma around it being a weed, I think that's simply because it's a shattering line of sesame."

Ms Gamble said it was early days, but sesame had the potential to offer growers an option to diversify, as hay and cotton were the predominant broadacre crops grown in the NT.

It's a sentiment shared by central Queensland grower Aaron Kiely, who hosted the sesame trials at his farm in Emerald where he grows cotton, chickpeas, mung beans, and wheat.

"I think it would be more your rotation crop," he said.

"You'd fit it into your system and see what the benefits are going forward."

Rather than growing sesame as a primary crop, he suggested planting it when the conditions suited. 

Trials and tribulations 

It's been a steep learning curve for the team with pest pressures and wet weather hampering the first few sesame harvests.

But their perseverance has paid off and they're collating enough data to soon share with growers interested in planting the crop.

"We are starting to get our heads around when to plant the crop, how to manage it in season, what the planting depths and densities should be," Dr Trotter said.

A further $2 million was invested last year in a sesame research hub at CQ University.

And as interest in sesame gains momentum, work is underway by research and development corporation AgriFutures to expand the locations of trial sites.

Commercialisation manager Peter Vaughan said trial crops would also be planted in northern New South Wales.

"We're really looking at alternate revenue streams for producers," he said.

While Australian-grown sesame might start reaching domestic markets as early as 2025, there was still more work to be done in the lab and at trial sites before it could reach full-scale commercial production.

"There's always something more to learn and to help and to develop and assist growers," Dr Trotter said.

"That's what's really exciting about being part of an emerging industry."