The sale of sesame at the weekly market in Lalgudi has increased tenfold in the last one month. Officials of the Agricultural Marketing Department say that the active cultivation by sesame farmers is the reason for the high sales. Sesame cultivation is mostly started in Masipattam in Tamil Nadu . Sesame harvesting starts from the end of May and in some places till the end of July. But despite the crop being affected in some places due to unexpected summer rains, the sale of sesame farmers this year is favorable. Sesame cultivation takes place only in Lalgudi of Trichy district. According to sources, 1930 kg of sesame was sold at Rs 1.96 lakh on June-14 alone in the regulated market which operates on Wednesdays. On July 5, 9,283 kg of sesame seeds were sold at Rs.14.9 lakhs in the market. An Agriculture Department official said that since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the demand for oilseeds has increased across the country, creating a favorable situation for sesame farmers. About 1,600 hectares of sesame was cultivated in Lalgudi this year. Sesame farmer T. Wigneswaran told a leading daily that selling through the regulated market reduces transport costs and does away with middlemen's commission. Lalgudi market supervisor G. Vivek said: "Despite rains affecting the cultivation, the price remained high as compared to last year. Last year a kg of sesame rose to a maximum of Rs 130, this year it is selling from Rs 140 per kg." Trichy Market Committee Secretary R. Sureshbabu said, "Many big traders are interested in purchasing good quality sesame seeds from us. Due to high prices, more farmers are taking up sesame cultivation." As the sesame crop can be harvested in 85 to 90 days after sowing, small and marginal farmers are mostly engaged in sesame cultivation. Market sources are of the view that the oil price is likely to increase due to the decrease in the current year's yield and the increase in the purchase price of sesame, which is widely used for cooking oil.