Contribution Of Sunflower Production To The Livelihood Of Farmers And Development Of Small Scale Industries In Tanzania: A Case Study Of Chamwino District, Dodoma Region

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at analyzing the contribution of sunflower production to the

livelihood of farmers and development of small scale industries. The study collected

information from 101 sample size. The methods used to collect data were Interview,

Questionnaires, Participatory Observation, Focus Group Discussion and Institutional

Capacity Assessment (ICA).

The findings revealed that Production trend of sunflower for the past five years in

2007-20011 has a tendency of falling and rising from 2007 to 2011. The production

trend of sunflower oil industries of small scale was 14440 liters of sunflower were

produced during 2007, where as in 2008 and 2009 hence the production of small

scale industries went down to 12800 liters in both years.

The opportunities facing sunflower production and sunflower oil industries are land

for cultivating sunflower, insecticides and pesticides. On the other hand constraints

facing sunflower production and sunflower oil industries are shortage of capital for

buying fertilizers insecticides and pesticides. The measures to be taken in order to

improve the income among farmers in Chamwino District were to involve in nonagriculture

activities that provided substantial amount of income to improve

sunflower farming such as petty business. The financial services need to be evaluated

seriously so that the farmers can take loan on savings and loan associations. The

study recommends that farmers should make sure that gets enough extension

services, small scale industries should increase the capacity of machines, Extension

officers should provide enough advice to farmers on sunflower farming methods.

Policy makers should keen on making the policy that will affect farming in puts price

to increase its affordability by majority of sunflower farmers.