Smallholder farmers in Taita Taveta County have been urged to take up sunflower and other oil crop cultivation, whose huge unmet demand, guarantees a ready local and international market.
The Taita Taveta CECM for Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Eric Kyongo said that although the oil crops are drought resistant and adaptable to many ecological zones, Kenya is currently producing less than 50 percent of her needs.
“Kenyan oil manufacturers are grappling with huge deficits in production of sunflower, canola, soya beans, and linseed. The key players who manufacture edible oils have resorted to importing sunflower and soya beans from other countries like Uganda and Tanzania to meet the high processing demand,” said Kyongo.
Kyongo stated that the County government has earmarked the sunflower value chain to boost local production of edible oils.
“Sunflowers do not need a lot of rain, they don’t require a lot of fertilizer nor do they need a lot of farm inputs hence suitable for most of our farmers,” he said.
“We have been contacting willing farmers who grow sunflowers and assure them of a ready market. We want to boost the supply of the raw material to our processing plant in Mahandakini, Taveta sub-county,” added Kyongo.
According to him, farmers in the County face the problem of mono-cropping which has led to the build-up of diseases and pests, resulting in declining productivity and profitability of farms.
He further urged farmers to compare the profitability of sunflower and maize adding that sunflower has proved to be more profitable compared to maize grown in the same acreage of land hence urging farmers to embark on sunflower cultivation.
By Michael Oduor | oduormichael2021@gmail.com
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