THE Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (Tari) has embarked on the implementation of a five-year strategy to increase the production of sunflower to spearhead the country’s efforts to minimise a shortage and importation of edible oil.
Annually, the country imports 365,000 metric tonnes of edible oil which cost the government at least 443bn/-.
The ambitious initiative is masterminded by Tari at Ilonga Centre in Morogoro. It is expected to boost the production of 2 million tonnes of sunflower grains and generate at least 700,000 tonnes of edible oil in five years (2020-2025).
As part of preliminary preparations, National Coordinator for Sunflower Research Frank Reuben told this reporter in an interview that Tari had already developed a road map to produce 45 tonnes of pre-basic and basic seeds to be distributed to different seed companies for mass production.
He said Tari would partner with several companies and institutions.
They are, the Agriculture Seed Agency (ASA), BioSustain Tanzania Limited, Termar, Ruddi, Agri-Seed Technologies, Southern Highland Seed Growers, Lima Africa, Inades, Agricpays Tanzania Ltd and registered farmers working with Clinton Foundation and World Vision Tanzania.
“The companies will be responsible for the production of at least 4,500 tonnes of seeds to be certified by the Tanzania Official Seeds Certification Institute (TOSCI),” he noted.
He said, according to the schedule they had, they expected to produce 2 million tonnes of sunflower grains for processing.
“This programme is expected to help the country address the shortage of edible oil and reduce the importation of sunflower seed varieties,” he insisted.
Moreover, he noted that plans were underway to embark on a major research programme to produce improved and hybrid seed varieties.
“At the centre’s Germplasm, we’re possessing genetic conservation of 300 genotypes to be used for the conduction of key researches to produce improved and hybrid sunflower seed varieties,” he explained.
According to him, the country’s sunflower sub-sector has been experiencing poor development due to several challenges, including the absence of an agriculture research and communication centre (CGR) for sunflower and lack of funds.
He said Tari-Ilonga had so far researched and invented at least two new sunflower improved seed varieties, which were at a multiplication stage to be distributed to farmers across the country.
The varieties are Tari-Ilo 2019 and Tari-Na 2019. The varieties are of high yield of grains and oil, resistant to pests and diseases, but also are tolerant to droughts.
He added: “These are appropriate seed varieties for small and large-scale farmers. The reason is that, these seeds allow farmers to produce and distribute them in quality declared seed (QDS) class within their farming community under the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) supervision.”
The Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), in 2016 indicated that, sunflower was the most likely subsector to yield investable opportunities in Tanzania.
But unfortunately, the country has yet to reap economic fortunes the sub-sector has in offing due to several factors, including lack of enough hybrid seed varieties as in most places farmers are reported to be using recycled seeds.
Possible factors likely to boost the production of sunflower in the future, according to experts, include the yield potential and superior agronomic characteristics of sunflower, a need for alternative crops in some areas of the country, excessive crushing capacity and increased demand for edible oils as well as health benefits of sunflower oil. He explained that the potential for the expansion of sunflower in Tanzania was good and land was suitable for growing sunflower.
He added that sunflower production in the country could also have potential for long-term expansion. “There is a great wealth of unexplored genetic materials for use in improving sunflower,” he said.