Otim turns sunflower into a Shs25m yearly earning

Francis Otim, a small-holder farmer from Amugu sub-county, Alebtong District, defied the cotton, beans and maize growing trend that is popular in the region, to focus on sunflower cultivation, and his effort is paying off.

The sunflower plants on Otim’s four-acre farm are meticulously arranged and their smiling faces appear to be mocking the old-fashioned perception that maize is the only profitable crop in the region.

“I produce up to 1,600 kilogrammes of sunflower seeds per acre every season which earns me about Shs1.5m,’’ says the 40 year old and father of three.
In a good year, Otim who is currently harvesting confirms that the crop gives him up to Shs25m, an amount he could only dream of three years ago when he was inter-cropping maize and beans.
“I now have a decent house and I effortlessly pay school fees for my children, thanks to these big flowers,’’ he said.

Conditions for growth
Sunflower grows well in low acidic soils of soil pH 6-7. After sampling his soil in 2015, it was found to be 5.8 and he was advised to mix wood ash into his soil to keep down its acidity level. Through intensive research, workshops and lessons from established sunflower farmers in the region, he was able to learn about the various varieties of the crop. “I grow Agsun-8251 sunflower here because they got bigger heads, and produce more seeds, which is my primary target. Their seeds have a small surface area hence more mass and are fattier,” says Otim.

Market power
Otim, together with 12 other sunflower farmers under their Amugu farmers’ group pile up their harvests and bulk sell them to Ngetta Tropical Holdings Ltd, a leading oil refinery company in Lira especially in edible oils.
“We sell them a kilogramme of dry Sunflower seeds at Shs1,300, which is Shs200 higher than what brokers offer to individual smallholder farmers, who lack a bargaining power due to their small yields,” says Otim.

Production costs
Otim grows the crop twice a year hence earning more compared to other crops, which he only grew once per year. There are fewer sunflower farmers in the country than are needed to meet the demand from oil companies.
Otim normally plants two kilogrammes of certified sunflower seeds per acre, with a kilogramme of seed retailing at an average price of Shs5,000. 

Instead of using synthetic phosphate fertilisers like ammonium phosphate, Otim prefers using farmyard manure, which he says does not damage the soil and is inexpensive. 
He, however, warns that sunflower requires tender care and frequent weeding, hence labour intensive compared to other popular crops such as maize.

Sun flower can either be planted in shallow furrows or broadcast, but Otim prefers line planting to obtain uniform results and avoid wastage. 
He approximates that ploughing the land costs him Shs80,000 per acre. He also pays Shs100,000 for fine digging per acre, Shs50,000 for weeding per acre. 

Value addition
The farmer who used to get less than Shs10m per year while growing other crops including maize, beans and cotton on the same piece of land that is earning him slightly over Shs25m is now planning to start producing his sunflower oil in the next two years, once he consolidates enough funds to buy a modern oil processor. 

“It is a pity that a sunflower farmer like me competes with the rest of Ugandans to purchase sunflower oil in retail stores for as much as Shs10,000 per litre yet I can make my own oil and save more,” says Otim.
Besides selling seeds, Otim makes fodder from sunflower leaves and husks, which he sells to dairy farmers in the region.