Sunflowers
Nakuru County is promoting sunflower farming as an emerging commercial and rotational crop to empower farmers economically. Through the program over 3,900 farmers have benefited from 15,000 kilograms of sunflower seeds through the edible oils crop promotion.
The Ag. County Director for Agriculture Charles Githiri said the first batch of the seeds received is set to cover an acreage of 5,000 acres across the county. He was speaking Tuesday during a consultative meeting with Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and Rongai farmers on the implementation of the edible oils crop promotion in the sub-county.
Githiri urged the Sub County Agricultural Officers to encourage farmers to take up the crop since there is low production despite the county having a great potential for enhanced sunflower production. He emphasized that planting sunflowers can potentially enhance the farmers’ incomes, improve soil health and support environmental sustainability.
The director stated that sunflower seeds are in high demand for producing sunflower oil, which is widely used for cooking and industrial purposes. Beyond oil, he noted sunflower seeds can be processed into animal feed and other by-products, providing additional revenue streams for the farmer.
Rongai farmers during a meeting with county officials to promote sunflower farming
He observed that sunflower crops have deep roots that help break up soil and improve soil structure, which enhances soil health and benefits subsequent crops. Additionally, he said incorporating sunflowers into crop rotation can help manage pests and diseases by disrupting the life cycles of harmful organisms.
Apart from that, he said sunflowers are relatively drought-tolerant, making them suitable for areas like Rongai sub-county which have inconsistent rainfall patterns. Githiri said if sunflower farming proves to be more profitable than other crops, farmers might earmark a significant portion of their land for the crop leading to increased local production of sunflower oil.
This he explained would make the oil more prevalent and possibly more affordable cooking oil option in the region. Moreover, Githiri projected that as more farmers grow sunflowers, local processing facilities might increase and encourage more families to rely on sunflower oil for cooking.