Sunny days for sunflower growers

This crop is eliciting interest especially among small farmers who have historically grown maize. This is because the cost of producing maize has escalated exponentially over the last 10 years.

The high cost of farm inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and the increase of fuel prices  has made maize farmers reduce their acreage of the crop. In a bid to sustain their income from the farm, farmers have started venturing to sunflower farming; a previously ignored crop.

Secondly, industrialists in Kenya who depend on the crop  for production have developed an interest in encouraging small scale farmers to venture into sunflower farming. They have been driven to that point by the ever volatile prices of edible oils in the international markets  that are making their operations expensive. This has created a boom in the sunflower business as growing demand creates a shortage in domestic market.

Current local consumption stands at 30,000 Metric tons against a production of 12,000; from small and large scale farmers. This has created a shortage of the seeds in the market, for oil production; as demand increases, has forced edible oils manufacturers to either import more or use other alternatives to sustain high production levels resulting to increased cost of vegetable oil and soap.

Currently, “Kenya is the lowest ranked in the region both in production and consumption of sunflower hence the need for the government and all other local players to come in and promote and enhance the growing of sunflower,” says Mr. Mbugua an Agronomist in the Ministry of Agriculture.

SUNFLOWER FARMING IN KENYA

Sunflower is turning into a hot commodity because of the prices being offered by oil processors is increasing  because of the growing shortage. Oil manufacturers have been forced to either import more or use other alternatives to sustain production.

Bidco Oil Refineries Ltd  and other oil refineries are offering to buy sunflower stocks across the country in the hope that this will encourage farmers into planting more, with a kilo of seeds being bought for Ksh. 25.

25/= Amount

in Kenya shillings offered farmers for 1 Kilo of sunflower seeds.

Though farmers have sited lack of suitable hybrid seeds, preliminary investigation indicate that Kenya seed company has developed 12 varieties, 4 among them in collaboration with Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. On the other Hand, KARI has developed one variety while Pannar seed company has 2 varieties being sold in the Kenyan market.

One interesting fact is; these varieties have a yield potential varying between 2-4 tons per Ha. With the current prices being offered in the Market, a farmer who has properly maintained his farm has the possibility of earning between Ksh. 50,000-200,000 per Ha after 160 days from date of planting. These earnings include the expenses incurred during production.

SUNFLOWER VARIETIES IN KENYA

Variety name or code	Year of release	Optimal production altitude range (Masl)	Duration to maturity (days)	Seed production tons per Ha
H067	1974	1500-2400	130-140	2-3
Kenya white	1957	1500-2300	160-170	2-3
Kenya Fedha	1981	1000-2300	130-135	3-4
Kenya shaba	1981	1000-2300	130-135	3-4
H.894	1988	1500-2400	125-135	2-3
H.893	1988	1500-2400	130-135	2-3
H.898	1989	1500-2200	130-135	2-3
H.8998	1992	900-2200	120-125	2-3
PAN7352	1994	1000-2200	120-150	1.9-2.5
PAN 7369	1994	1000-2200	120-150	1.2-2.5
Kenya Almasi	2008	0-2500	120-134	1.5-2.5
KS-H4038	2008	1500-2300	110-120	3-3.6
KS-H4088	2008	1500-2300	113-130	3.6-4

GROWING OF SUNFLOWERS

It grows in soils ranging in texture from sand to clay. The amazing feature about this crop is that it done not require high levels of fertility like maize.

The recommended spacing is 75 x 50cm and 2 seeds per hole  will result in a plant population of 55,000  in one Hectare. In Areas receiving little rainfall, maintain low  plant densities of 33,000-45,000 in one Hectare.

For the highest yield,  60kg/Ha of Nitrogen and 80kg/Ha of Phosphorus will be sufficient. Early planting is important since the crop is able to utilize rain well when it is at the peak thus develop bigger flowers and more grains. It is important thing to consider is the planting depth which has an influence on the yield. The most appropriate planting depth is 7cm; planting at a depth of 9-15 cm reduces yields by between 10-28%.

Sunflower has relatively fewer labor demands than do other crops growing for cash e.g. Maize. Sunflower is harvested by cutting the head of and transporting it to a suitable place for drying.

YIELD OF SUNFLOWER

The yield of sunflower is influenced by 3 factors

• Number of heads per hectare
• Number of seeds per head
• Average weight per head.

It is therefore imperative to consult an agricultural officer to determine the correct seeding rate and soil fertility requirements.

Finally it is not recommended to plant the crop in the same plot for a long time because of pest buildup.  The highest yield of sunflower recorded in Kenya is 4 tons per Hectare.

INFLUENCE OF ALTITUDE TO SUNFLOWER GROWING

A farmer must first determine the height above sea level in which his farm is located.  This can be done by consulting a map of your area or searching the internet.This will assist a farmer in knowing the most suitable variety bred for that area. Altitude has an influence on the temperature of an area, amount of rainfall received, sunlight intensity factors that are important in crop growth and production.Every variety has a special altitude in it best grows.  [Use the table above to identify the suitable variety]

WHERE TO GET SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Hybrid seeds can be sourced from Kenya seed company stockists and other Agri-Input suppliers. The next step is to sow the seeds in well prepared farm. A well prepared surface will determine the future agronomic practices that are going to be conducted e.g. weeding. A poorly prepared surface will increase the number of times weeding will be done.

 CHALLENGES OF SUNFLOWER FARMERS

 The greatest challenge they face is the area of marketing. A small scale farmer in a certain area may be willing to grow sunflower. Unfortunately the area is remote and he is the only one willing to do so. He cannot be able to harvest sufficient volumes so that he may benefit from the economies of scale. It may thus prove to be uneconomical for him to grow the crop and for a manufacturer to collect it from his farm. The solution for this would be farmers within a certain locality form a cooperative society, that will handle their issues.

Many large scale farmers are either contracted by Kenya seed company to grow hybrid seeds or by large oil manufacturers.