• 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.
  • What is Malawi oilseed sector transformation (most)?
  • The Malawi Oilseed Sector Transformation (MOST) programme aims to reduce poverty by facilitating changes in the cotton, groundnut, soybean and sunflower markets using a market systems approach.
  • Can small farmers produce oilseeds in Malawi?
  • This analysis suggests that efforts to increase small farmers¡¯ production of oilseeds in Malawi should focus on farmers with larger landholdings in the Mid-altitude plateau zone. Land availability appears to be an important consideration in both farmers¡¯ decisions to produce oilseeds and how much of this to sell.
  • 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.
  • Why is the production of sunflower decreasing?
  • Since the 90s, production of sunflower has been decreasing due to a lack of markets for farmers. The acquisition of the raw material from outside the country by the sole major processor, Unilever, literally killed the sunflower sector. Seed companies, which were few at the time, stopped supplying the market with planting seed.
  • How many households participate in crop agriculture in Malawi?
  • Source: Benson, Mabiso, and Nankhuni (2016). Source: Author¡¯s weighted analysis of 2016-17 Malawi Integrated Household Survey. Note: Observations (IHS4 survey sample households that engage in crop agriculture): 9,293.