Sunflower cultivation is a viable option as an alternate to wheat crop for farmers in Sindh, especially in the lower region of the province where climatic conditions are suitable for it.

However, official figures of sunflower cultivation in the past couple of years indicate a drop in acreage and production. The crop was sown on 188,663 hectares in 2011 as compared to 143,631 hectares in 2012. The comparative production figures stood at 150,140 metric tonnes and 187,379 metric tonnes.

According to the federal ministry of national food security and research (economic wing) figures, Pakistan’s total sunflower acreage stood at 236,001 hectares in 2011-12 with major contribution coming from Sindh — 79.9 per cent. In terms of production, Sindh’s output stood at 66.2 per cent, with areas of Badin, Thatta and Tando Mohammad Khan famous for the flower. Growers usually use imported hybrid seed.

Many small farmers prefer sunflower over wheat as it is a short duration crop, usually taking 120 days to cultivate as compared to 160 days needed for wheat to mature. It consumes less water than wheat.

As per rough estimate, growers’ average per acre spending on wheat cultivation (exclusive of cost of laser land levelling and harvesting) is Rs25,000. Farmers go through a tedious process to sell wheat crop to food department which makes deduction in crop for moisture content. Around 30-32 maunds per acre yield of wheat reaps Rs36,000 to Rs37,000 per acre if support price is Rs1200 per 40kg.

In contrast, even 15 maunds per acre sunflower production may fetch Rs40,000 since the crop can be sold for Rs2,700 per 40kg. Sunflower doesn’t need land preparation and its cost of production lies between Rs15,000 to Rs17,000. “However, its lower per acre yields in recent years are worrying farmers”, says Vice President Sindh Abadgar Board Mahmood Nawaz Shah.

Farmers in upper Sindh area are opting for sunflower cultivation where progressive growers believe that even 14 maunds of sunflower is equivalent to 28 maunds of wheat in terms of money. Upper Sindh growers cultivate sunflower soon after harvesting of paddy crop depending on residual moisture in soil.

Haji Ameer Bux Pahore from Shikarpur complains that at times farmers aren’t able to get even 28 maunds of wheat for various reasons. “We want to rid ourselves of wheat crop due to cumbersome procurement procedure of food department. A small farmer is rarely given gunny bags and then he has to sell his crop in open market”, he says.

In order to assess yields, member of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Abdul Majeed Nizamani, conducted an experiment on sunflower cultivation last year in Badin. He used three types of seed supplied by PARC and two private companies which normally cater to farmers. The land used was the same and identical amount of inputs was given. The findings show that PARC’s local seed gave 13 maunds per acre yield and that of two companies between 9-10 maunds per acre.

“Hybrid seed perhaps consumes more nutrients of soil than the local seed, but the Agriculture Research Department can analyse it scientifically further,” says Nizamani, hinting that continuous use of hybrid seed changes soil’s behaviour which resultantly affects production.

“We are doing another experiment this season on 40 acres in Badin district’s Golarchi area that is famous for sunflower. PARC has sent 400kg of local seed there to record per acre productivity from local seed”, he discloses.

However, a private seed company’s representative argues that farmers miss ideal sowing timing between November and December as they harvest their paddy late. Since they go for late sowing and the productivity is affected. Growers like Nadeem Shah while admitting that late sowing meets with lower yields, argue that not all growers go for late sowing. He claims he didn’t get required production in Thatta even after timely sowing of sunflower.

“I got 18 to 24 maunds per acre yield on average between 2008-10. But in the last two years, yield stands between 7-12 maunds per acre”, he says.

Sindh Agriculture Research Department conceived schemes for production of hybrid seed locally, while offering incentive to foreign companies as well. The idea behind such proposal was to produce hybrid seed which is adjustable in local environment so that farmers don’t have to rely on imported seed.

But companies didn’t give positive response to their proposal, leaving sunflower cultivators dependent on imported hybrid seed.