Sunflower farming brightens life in semi-arid Kitui village

Gladys Kivoto, the Chief Officer in charge of agriculture at County Government of Kitui shows grown sunflower crop at a farm in Athi Ward, Kitui South. The county government is training farmers on climate resilient agricultural practices to improve their economic standing. [Philip Muasya, Standard] At the sleepy Kyandula trading centre in Kitui South, a group of women gathers around a specialised posho mill, readying a sack full of sunflower seeds. One woman powers on the electric machine, and it bursts into life. Its grain-grinding jaws rotate purposefully, and the woman eagerly processes the seeds into oil. As the mill churns, Rhoda Musembi bends over and scoops a jarful of sunflower seeds. Carefully, she pours them into the mill's gaping mouth. She scoops again and again, feeding every seed into the crushing chamber with practised ease. The mill swallows the contents and grinds the seeds into a fine pulp as the air fills up with a nutty aroma of fresh oil. While the machine's grinding compartment devours and crushes the seeds, the oil slowly begins to separate and flows through an exit chamber. Penina Mbithi, another of the hardworking village women, hurries to the other side of the mill, picks up a container and positions it under the lower chamber to catch the flowing golden oil. She ensures that she catches every precious drop as the oil continues to fill the container. "This is the best cooking oil you can ever get. There are no additives, and from here, it is ready for cooking," says Mbithi, her eyes firmly trained on the collection container so as not to lose a drop of the precious commodity. For the last three years, growing sunflower ((Helianthus annuus) and processing its oil has been one of the viable economic mainstays for members of the Wikwatyo Women Group composed of 25 women. The group is part of 120 farmers' groups in Athi Ward, which are supported by the county government under the Women Economic Empowerment Through Climate Smart Agriculture (WEE-CSA) project. Rhoda Musembi (holding jar), a member of Wikwatyo Women Group, feeds a grinding mill with sunflower seeds to process cooking oil at their processing plant at Kyandula market in Kitui County. The women group is involved in growing sunflower crop and processing its oil for home use and for sale. [Philip Muasya, Standard] Mbithi, a mother of four and who is the chair-lady of the group, says that through growing sunflower and processing oil, they have reaped benefits they never imagined, considering that they are small-holder farmers from an arid and semi-arid region that perennially suffers from unreliable rains. "We were trained by the county government on sunflower farming and production of its oil. They also provide us with tractors to plough our farms and give us seeds and extension services," says the farmer. The women's group grows sunflower crops on a shared piece of land. However, the chair-lady says that every member is encouraged to grow the crop on their farms to bolster their income. To boost their agribusiness, a South Korean organisation donated the electric mill to the farmers, making it convenient for the women to process cooking oil for both home use and for sale. Damaris Musyoki, another member of the group says that sunflower oil is in high demand, revealing that they get orders from individuals, local hotels and even schools. Most of what they produce is sold, she says. "We have seen the benefits of sunflower farming, particularly on the use and sale of the oil which is in constant demand. The crop also does very well in our region because it does not require heavy rains," observes Musyoki, revealing that during the last December holidays, they made a roaring business selling the oil. She explains that for every three kilograms of sunflower seeds, a litre of oil, which goes for Sh300 is produced. And here, nothing goes to waste. The farmer says that the seed shells and other waste are crushed further and mixed with other products such as maize or sorghum to make rich chicken feed, which goes for Sh75 a kilo. Even non-members are allowed to bring their sunflower for oil production at a fee. "We charge them Sh35 per kilo," says Mbithi, the head of the group. The women also buy sunflower seeds from non-members at Sh50 per kilo to keep their oil stocks flowing. To supplement their income, they also use the multi-purpose mill to process maize flour, which is also in high demand. "We also rear chicken and do table banking. Our members can borrow loans at friendly rates and this way, we are able to take care of our families, including paying school fees for our children," explains Mbithi. The county Chief Officer (CO) in the Department of Agriculture Gladys Kivoto says Governor Julius Malombe's administration has made deliberate efforts to incentivise farming, especially for grassroots women, who are the key drivers of village economies. "We have a cocktail of incentives for the farmer's groups geared towards driving climate-smart agriculture. This will ensure sufficient food production both for household level and for commercial purposes, even with minimal rains," observes Kivoto. She says the county government aims at improving the economic standing of farmers, particularly women by training them in climate-resilient agricultural practices, thus empowering them to generate higher incomes. Part of the incentives offered to farmers, Kivoto says, include providing better seeds, tractors for ploughing and establishing irrigation schemes within reliable rivers and streams. The farmers also benefit from training on water management techniques and market linkages.

Sunflower farming brightens life in semi-arid Kitui village

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