FG allocates sunflower budget says National President

National President, Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (SUNGPMAN), Alhaji Bukar

The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria is now ready to give proactive measure towards galvanizing the commercial productivity of sunflower as it has been officially included in the national budget. This was revealed to us by the National President of the crop, Alhaji Jubril Bubar.

Speaking with Food Farm News on the neglect of the crop, the National President, Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (SUNGPMAN), Alhaji Bukar hinted that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) was already giving a positive approach to the development of the crop added the crop has been included in the national budget so as to be well galvanized at all the value chains for both local and export markets.

The inclusion of sunflower in the national budget according to the national President was a reflection of FMARD’s commitment to ensuring that the crop is well galvanized for commercial productivity because of its economic potentials both locally and internationally in terms of oil content that is less cholesterols for human consumption.

According to AlhajiBukar “I was at the Ministry in Abuja with some of my chairmen from the states where we were told that the crop will be well promoted as it has been captured in the national budget for year 2018. This is an indication that government is ready to promote the crop at all the value chains for its economic benefits for human consumption, animal feeds and industrial uses at the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry”

He commended the release of four improved varieties of the crop by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria saying that “the varieties have 72 days period for maturity, 80 days, 85 days, and 92 days depending on the particular variety”

He however wanted the states government to also support the crop in many fronts through land provision for cultivations, and mechanized and agro inputs that would enhance commercial productivity for wealth creation from more earning locally and internationally.

Presently the association according to the Sunflower President has its members across the country, in Bayelsa, kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bornu, Yobe, Ekiti, Imo, Ogun and Ondo.