Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Sunflower Processors Association (Tasupa) has appealed to the government to set up a development fund for the sunflower industry that will ensure the sector reaches its full potential.
Through the fund, a particular focus can be given to addressing the accessibility to high quality certified sunflower seeds, development of public and private partnership for increased production, as well as ensuring compliance and adherence to internationally recognised food safety requirements.
The call was made by Tasupa Chairperson, Mr Ringo Iringo in Dar es Salaam during the just ended 5th Tanzania Industrial Products Exhibition.
Mr Iringo said it was equally important to speed up the review of the Tanzania Sunflower Sector Development strategy 2016/2020 to provide a road map of what should be done, with specific goals and interventions.
Both public and private sector are guided on how and what steps and action to take in developing sunflower sub-sector, in the (2021-2025) strategy.
Tasupa is an apex body of all Tanzania regional sunflower oil processors associations with more than 762 processors.
It has been established in 2011 with a specific objective of bringing all sectors’ stakeholders together to stimulate sunflower industry growth.
He further said for the next five years stakeholders in the sector emphasise the improvement of seed quality and technology, packaging and branding, identifying a potential export market, commitment by Tanzania Agriculture Development Bank (TADB) in supporting the sector.
The Chairperson further said as there are more than 500,000 household producing sunflower, the demand is still high especially in industries thus they have as well invested in the use of technology to ensure they get improved yield hence increase oil production.
According to the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute’s (TARI) recent report, there is a shortage of 365,000 tonnes of edible oil.
The country’s oil production stood at 205,000 tonnes but the demand is 570,000 tonnes.
The institute said that despite the peanut, sesame, sunflower and palm oil yields, a major priority has been given to sunflower and palm oil in which more than 440bn/- was spent on oil exports to Malaysia and Costa Rica to meet demand.
Major sunflower producing regions are Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, Arusha, Tabora, Iringa, Njombe, Rukwa, Mbeya, Morogoro, Ruvuma, Kigoma and Katavi.
