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
29th 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