As the prices of cooking oil and animal feed began to rise, Marystella Wabwoba took the initiative to cultivate her own resources.
In a discussion with How We Made It In Africa, she shared her rationale for selecting sunflower farming, noting its absence of chemicals and additives.
Additionally, Wabwoba, who possesses a PhD in Food Security and Sustainable Development, can utilize the by-products of the crop to nourish her livestock, which includes dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry.
“I also mobilised women and youth groups and educated them on the need to venture into sunflower farming. A few bought the idea and embraced the venture,” she explained.
Wabwoba clarified that an acre yields approximately 1,000 kilograms of sunflower seeds, and that every 4 kilograms of these seeds results in one liter of cooking oil.
“When you harvest 1,000kgs of sunflower seeds, after crushing you get 250 litres of sunflower cooking oil, translating to Ksh100,000 per acre,” she said.
She cultivates sunflowers on a seven-acre plot of land. She offers half a litre of sunflower cooking oil for Ksh 400, five litres for Ksh 1,800, ten litres for Ksh 3,500, and twenty litres for Ksh 4,500.
Additionally, Wabwoba procures sunflowers from fellow farmers in the community to enhance her cooking oil production.
“I have another 20 farmers, each with an acre for growing sunflower. Last season, they produced 20,000kg of sunflower which I bought from them at Ksh 100. After crushing, I got 5,000 litres of sunflower oil,” she added.
She cultivates sunflowers on a seven-acre plot of land.
Wabwoba offers half a litre of sunflower cooking oil for Ksh 400, five litres for Ksh 1,800, ten litres for Ksh 3,500, and twenty litres for Ksh 4,500.
Additionally, she procures sunflowers from fellow farmers in the community to enhance her cooking oil production.
