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  • What happened to sunflower production in Malawi?
  • Sunflower production in Malawi peaked in the 1990s, but the industry collapsed after the only significant buyer left the market and prices plummeted.10 This history still informs a lingering pessimistic attitude around sunflower production to this day. community crushers, who sell the unrefined oil to local communities.
  • How much sunflower does Malawi produce annually?
  • Malawi's annual production of sunflower hovers around 11,000 metric tonnes (mT) despite the increased demand of sunflower at local and international markets. The country's processor requires around 30-40,000 mT of sunflower seed annually.
  • Is there a demand for sunflower in Malawi?
  • However, there is increasing demand for sunflower in the country. The sunflower trade balance is -$2,894,000 in Malawi, with other edible oils also showing negative balances,13 reflecting a net overall deficit of edible oil production domestically.
  • What should be done to promote sunflower production in Malawi?
  • 1 The processors currently invested in Malawi should work together to promote the benefits of growing sunflower, along with the government, extension oficers, NASFAM and FUM. Sunseed Oil should actively market the 2 new margarine factory in Malawi to alert producers and processors to the potential of sunflower as a consumer product.
  • Is sunflower a VC crop in Malawi?
  • There are now a growing number of poultry feed processors in Malawi that receive soybean from local farmers.6 Sunflower, on the other hand, has perhaps the least developed VC of the four target crops, and therefore the most scope for growth.
  • Why is sunflower popular in Malawi?
  • Sunflower, a crop with large golden flowers grown for its edible seeds which yield oil, was in high demand more than two decades ago in Malawi. Smallholder farmers like Phiri in Chitipi, Lilongwe, were able to produce a lot of sunflower and were within reach of making a fortune from it.