Over Sh300m spent on adding value to sunflower production

Chunya. The Chunya District Council in Mbeya Region has spent more than Sh300 million on the construction of seven sunflower processing factories to add value to sunflower production.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, a district officer, Mr Paulo Lugodisha, said they had added value to sunflower production through processing expertise, particularly enabling farmers to package their products and get a reliable market.

He noted that the move was part of the implementation of the country’s industrialization policy.
As a result, the price of a sack of six tins of sunflower has increased from Sh30,000 to Sh63,000.
However, district agricultural, livestock and fisheries officer Mohamed Msangi said the sector was facing a shortage of 96 workers as those available were only 33.

He noted that the situation had made them fail to reach out to rural farmers.


A sunflower farmer in Kipambawe Ward, Mr Amos Mussa, said the big challenge facing them was lack of money to buy agricultural inputs.

He thus appealed to the government to think about them so that they could realise their goals in the production of both cash and food crops.

The district executive director, Ms Sophia
Kumbuli, said they had allocated Sh337 million in the 2016/17 financial year for loans to groups of women and the youth.

She said the move aimed at implementing the policy of improving individual economies and reducing poverty.

For her part, Chunya District Commissioner Rehema Madusa said due to prevailing challenges she had advised farmers to diversify crop production.