Mato Grosso industry expands 56% as sesame crop surges

Industrial activity in Brazil's Mato Grosso state has accelerated sharply. Between 2019 and 2025 the number of industrial establishments rose 56.4% from 10,800 to 16,890, while the Prodeic incentive programme saw participants increase from 591 to 1,778, a 200.8% jump. Private investment in the sector climbed from R$6.39 billion to R$10.7 billion and formal industrial employment grew from about 60,000 to over 80,000 workers, reaching more than 211,000 jobs overall. The state's industrial GDP hit R$36.85 billion in 2023, placing Mato Grosso among the top industrial states in Brazil.

At the same time, Mato Grosso has turned sesame into a strategic crop. The state now supplies 73% of Brazil's sesame, with production up 465% and cultivated area up 588% since 2018/19. Export volumes between 2020 and 2025 rose 600%, driven largely by demand from China and India. Farmers cite sesame as a revenue‑buffer against volatile soy and corn prices, and analysts say the next step is to add value locally by processing the grain into oil and meal within the state.