In Tanzania 6% of the land under production is used for the
cultivation of sunflower. In areas like Mbeya(Southern Highlands)
and Dodoma and Singida (Central Corridor), the area under
sunflower varies from 1 - 10 acres per household.
Despite the
relatively good production and business environment for producing
sunflower, Tanzania remains a net importer of edible cooking oil.
The sunflower oil produced by local processors only meets 40% of
the national cooking oil requirements
In Tanzania there are different types of sunflower plants grown but commonly are four ,Helianthus annuus,Sundance Kid, Suntastic Yellow with Black Center,Moulin Rouge.
By knowing this GCU(GEITA CO-OPERATIVE UNION)decided to help farmers produce enough sunflower crops so that it first meet the net production of edible cooking oil but also alter their living standards throung making bussiness
SUNFLOWER PLANT TYPES
Sunflower farming Processes
Farmers get sunflower seeds from their respective AMCOS where the seeds are provided directly From
sunflower seeds suppliers or from their ginneries.
Geita Co-operative Union Helps farmers in:-
- Making sure that all AMCOS are given proper land which will help them to plant in sulplus.
- Provide farmers with well suitable seeds which will grow regardless in any environmental change
- Provide AMCOS farmers with education regarding the suitable time to plant their seeds.
- Making sure that all AMCOS are provided with adequate amount of seeds in planting season.
- Provide AMCOSwith affordable Organic compounds which will help farmers with all living standards afford
- Keep follow -ups to AMCOS which prodided need to cultivate cotton in their area
- Ensure that all farmers are reached and helped in finding major suitable method in weeding process
Farmers are provided with a numerous number of weeding methods in their farms, some prefer using local methods i.e using hoes, this is due to the standards of life, others use organic compound whose work is to kill cockle , these compound are expensive thus farmers with high living standards are able to afford and those with low living standards afford local methods
Geita Co-operative union ensures that:-
Once sunflowers have died back completely and the backs of the blooms are brown, it's time to harvest. Farmers also notice the seeds are plump and somewhat loose, the stalk is cut with sharp scissors or pruners, about one foot down from the flower head, and place in a container that can catch any loose seeds.
Knowing this GCU ensures that:-
- Farmers in all AMCOS are given education on when to harvest and how for harvesting best quality sunflower which will result to high bid in market.
- Sunflower is a two based output crop it produces oil as well as animal food, GCU gives AMCOS best materials for harvest inorder to get desired seeds together with animal food.
- Farmers in all AMCOS are provided with financial support which will help them increase labour power in their harvest.
Transport of sunflower to ginneries require financial muscle, thus some farmers tend to sell their crops from farmer to potential buyers, this sometimes tend to bring loss to farmers, also Ginneries they use to store are either public or private owned , thus they tend to have high amount of storing fee.
- GCU has ensured that it builds its own manufacturing industry so that it attains a number one producer of their end products using raw materials from their AMCOS
- All of the AMCOS are provided with financial help which will help them build their own ginneries.
- Bulid many ginneries which will charge least fee in keeping sunflower for farmers.
- Provide farmers with vehicles which will help farmers transport their crops to ginneries.
- For those farmers who will wish not to transfer their crops instead sell them GCU makes sure it buys the crops and later on grant is rewarded to the farmer.
Being aware of this GCU has doe the following..
