How to increase investment in sunflower farming in Tanzania?
The government should create policies targeting to increase investment in sunflower farming. Currently, Tanzania no longer attaches VAT on agricultural processing equipment, including oil refining equipment used in sunflower oil production. Adopt a holistic approach for long term sunflower farming benefits.
Why should we invest in sunflower oil in Tanzania?
Investment in sunflower oil production locally could therefore provide competition against imported oil. One reason for encouraging the greater production and processing of sunflower oil in Tanzania is thus its potential for import substitution, which could generate income and jobs at home and have a beneficial impact on foreign- exchange outflows.
How much sunflower oil does Tanzania produce?
Speaking to The Citizen, the chairman of the Tanzania Sunflower Oil Processors Association (Tasuba), Mr Ringo Iringo, said sunflower seeds demand in Tanzania is 5,800 tonnes, while the country produces only 1,340 tonnes. About 1.7 million tonnes of seeds are required to manufacture 700,000 tonnes of cooking oil.
How many sunflower seeds are produced in Tanzania?
According to him, Tanzania has 773 cooking oil factories requiring 1.7 million tonnes of sunflower seeds a year, worth Sh1.1450 trillion in total, at Sh850 per kilogramme. But, as only 352,908 tonnes worth Sh299 billion are produced locally, farmers lose Sh1.363 trillion in benefits from supplying to small, middle and large scale processing firms.
