Poor funding and lack of markets is discouraging farmers from growing sunflower, which has potential to generate income for rural communities, an official said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said many farmers were moving away from sunflower to soya beans, cotton and other small grains which had ready markets.
“A significant number of farmers are moving from traditional crops such as sunflower to soya bean and other small grains which are fetching lucrative prices on the market despite being capital intensive,” he said. Mr Chabikwa said many farmers were also opting for crops that were produced under the contract system.
“Contract farming has taken centre stage and no contractor is willing to fund sunflower, resulting in a decline in its production,” he said.
He said changes in climatic conditions were also impacting negatively production of the crop as rainfall was no longer dependable.
Mr Chabikwa said there was need for the government to intervene and fund production of the crop, which had dropped to critical levels. — New Ziana