What Tanzania needs to do to boost sunflower farming

Dar es Salaam. Sunflower stakeholders say poor technologies and sunflower seeds are affecting production and processing of the crop which produces cooking oil and animal food.

They want more strategies to improve the crop productivity after the government imposed import duty on crude palm oil.

Speaking during the 42nd Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), the chairman for Tanzania Sunflower Oil Processors Association Ringo Iringo said there is no proportion between the production and processing.

He cited an example of 2016 when the production of sunflower seeds was more than one million tonnes but the processing was only 180,000 tonnes.

“There is a challenge especially in the kind of seed varieties farmers currently use,” he said.

He revealed that the association conducted a research to farmers in South Africa and discovered production of sunflower seeds was 970,000 tonnes and the possessing stand at 500,000 tonnes of oil.

“In Tanzania out of more than 1 million tonnes of seeds we only receive 180,000 tonnes of oil. We need to work hard because the government has already shown the intention to improve this sector,” he said.

For her part, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) representative Rehema Mbogi said a research conducted by the foundation established that sunflower cake from Tanzania have huge market because lots of oil remain. She added that the challenge is now for small processors to look into possibility of purchasing modern technologies.

“Our government has decided to increase tax on crude palm oil importation to protect local manufacturers and that is an opportunity to produce more,” she said.

Director for policy and planning at the Agriculture Council of Tanzania (ACT) Mr Timothy Mmbaga said the sunflower sector is facing a challenge of quality seeds.

He said a research conducted by ACT established that farmers need 3000 tonnes of seeds every year, asking the government to give subsidy of Sh23 billion for the production of seeds.

“The government imposed tax on crude palm oil imports and we must ensure we do not let it down. We must set a strategy that will produce high quality seeds,” he said.