20t sunflower first oil refinery in malawi

   
20t sunflower first oil refinery in malawi
                                               
                                               
                                               
                                               
  • 20t sunflower first oil refinery in malawi
  • Why is sunflower so popular in Malawi?
  • More than two decades ago, Sunflower ¨C a crop with large golden flowers grown for its edible seeds which yield oil ¨C was in high demand. The Sunflower sector in Malawi was booming. For Phiri, as a smallholder farmer he was within reach of making a fortune. He had produced a lot of sunflower from his farm in Chitipi, Lilongwe.
  • Why are sunflower prices still unattractive?
  • Much as demand of sunflower is on the increase, prices remain unattractive most of the times. Malika is still keeping last year¡¯s yield amounting to 1900 kilograms (kgs). She awaits an improvement in market prices to sell the yield, which is equivalent to 38 bags weighing 50kg each.
  • How much sunflower seed is produced in Malawi in 2022?
  • Sunflower seed production reached 29.0 kt in 2022 in Malawi, according to Faostat. This is 35.8% more than in the previous year. Historically, sunflower seed production in Malawi reached an all time high of 29.0 kt in 2022 and an all time low of 0.200 kt in 1961.
  • Why is the production of sunflower decreasing?
  • Since early 90s, production of sunflower has been decreasing due to lack of markets for farmers. The acquisition of the raw material from outside the country by the sole major processor, Unilever, literally killed the sunflower sector. ¡°Seed companies, that were even few that time, stopped supplying the market with planting seed.