sun flower farming out reach

By Simon Munyeki

mr. simon munyeki training farmers on digital repository

Ngarua maarifa centre jointly with the ministry of agriculture and other stake holders held a farmers outreach at makutano area of ol-moran  ward on August 29^th 2018 with the aim of sensitizing farmers on the importance of sun flower farming and its economic value compared to regular annual crop they have been farming for years without much profits as compared to sun flower which takes three-four months to maturity.

Sunflower is one of the leading crops in oil production worldwide at third place from Soya and palm taking first and second place respectively, its also a good raw material for animal feeds production. This crop requires well drained loam soil, for maximum production, a farmer should observe the following steps of production. The field should be well ploughed and hallowed in order to have the soil hard pans broken to promote uniform germination, this is because sunflower seeds are small in size. Seed rate of four kgs per acre is recommended and spacing of 75cm between rows and 30cm plant to another.

Although farmers are hesitant in embracing new crops that are introduced to them due to lack of market information and the economic value of the crop, sun flower farming in olmoran ward and laikipia in general have gladly taken up this challenge and are enjoying huge profits in sunflower farming as compared to maize and wheat production they were used to for the past years.

farmers during a training session

The county government of laikipia through the ministry of agriculture is promoting sunflower production by linking farmers and buyers through contract farming. Through this initiative, the produce has a ready market and at a competitive price making sure that no single grain that goes to waste in this venture. With introduction of other stake holders like JIELIMISHE who are one of the main sun flower oil producers based in Nyahururu, farmers are getting ready market without having to worry of being exploited by middle men.

Name; Martha  Wanjiku

Contacts; 0729702528

“All the years that I have been farming maize, I haven’t been getting good profits due to low prices of our produce during harvesting season but since I started growing sun flower I have realized high profit margins cultivating the same size of land as maize, this is because I harvest three times in a year and the market is never saturated as opposed to when I was growing maize” said  mrs Martha Wanjiku said.

Name; John Gituku

Contacts; 0727395312

“Sunflower is the best crop that I have ever grown in my farm since I started farming 30 yrs ago because it take short time to mature and it has a good market price as compared to maize or wheat that I have been farming in the previous years, although birds are a big challenge when there are no other people who have planted sunflower in the neighborhood, I still have to enjoy double profit as compared to maize because when I take sunflower seeds for oil extraction I get both the oil and seed cake for my animals,”   said  Mr.  Githuku .

mr moses lokwawi, ministry of agriculture traininig farmers

Name; mwaura Ihugo

Contacts; 0720829488

“I have been farming maize for twenty years now and lately I have not been making good profits as I was earlier when I started farming, this is because  of high prices of farm inputs and also the fall army worms infestation that was not there years back. With the knowledge that I have gained today on sun flower production I will now switch to sunflower farming,” said Mr. Ihugo