A drastic decline in sunflower cultivation has been reported in Sindh, after it touched a peak in acreage following the 2010 super floods.

Statistics available with the Sindh agriculture department indicate sunflower acreage has dropped to 65,883 hectares in the 2015-16 season, against 266,964 hectares in the 2010-11 season. And this has happened despite the soil and climatic conditions in lower Sindh, particularly the coastal region, suit this crop.

Since it is a low delta crop, growers find it easy to opt for. The fact that it can be grown between October-February is an added advantage,and farmers consider it a better alternate crop to wheat in the Rabi season.

The wheat crop requires more investment than sunflower which does not demand land preparation. It is grown on the residual soil moisture in the same land used previously for paddy cultivation in the Kharif season.

Farmers earn Rs40,000 per acre in case of sales at a government announced support price. Alternatively, if they produce 15 to 16 maunds per acre of sunflower, farmers can get Rs35,000 to Rs40,000 an acre.

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The absence of domestic hybrid seed technology is considered a major irritant for farmers. The technology being made available locally could make sunflower cultivation inexpensive

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During the super floods of 2010-11, free seed and other inputs were provided to support farmers in flood ravaged areas.

Even before the floods, sunflower cultivation showed an upward trend from 2005-06 to 2009-10 seasons, when it ranged between 248,979ha and 220,963ha.

However over the years a gradual decline in per acre productivity with an inadequate market rates ranging between Rs1,200 to Rs1,800 per 40kg was recorded. Some attribute this to the poor seed quality of this oilseed producing crop.

“Sunflower is indeed a better option for farmers, especially when they find water availability a serious issue during the Rabi season, or when their cotton’s harvesting is delayed. They cultivate it easily, from Thatta to Larkana, though some variations are seen in the two regions”, says Mahmood Nawaz Shah of SAB. He is worried about why such a decline is going unnoticed bu relevant authorities.

Price-wise, the sunflower crop remains dependent on market trends.The rates were as high as Rs2,600/40kg before slumping to Rs1,600/40kg.

Farmers’ dependence on hybrid seeds is a disturbing factor in sunflower cultivation, with the absence of domestic hybrid seed technology being considered a major irritant for them. The technology being made available locally could otherwise make its cultivation inexpensive.

Progressive growers, like Abdul Majeed Nizamani and Nadeem Shah, have given-up or are reducing cultivated area of sunflower because of inadequate price and low yield.

Nizamani had approached the Pakistan Agriculture and Research Council (Parc) for local seed and had borne the expenses. He conducted a trial run on his agricultural land in Badin, but didn’t get the desired production.There was no uniformity in the crop and then PARC didn’t go for further research”, he says.

SAB has made an appeal to the federal and provincial governments to support farmers in sunflower cultivation by providing them with hybrid seeds and a bag of DAP fertiliser. It argues that this wouldn’t be a bad bargain for the government since it would then be able to reduce its import bill on edible oil.

A private seed supply company representative Saleem Khanzada, however, foresees an increase in sunflower production this year. “It will get the area it lost to wheat”, he says He linked lower yields with a lack of proper crop management on the farmers’ part.