A golden future for sunflower in SA
FAST FACTS
Sunflower production in South Africa has remained relatively flat over the past two decades, with a decline in the area planted to the crop over the past couple of years.
Some reasons for this decline include lower yields and returns per hectare compared with maize and soya bean.
To ensure a better future for sunflower production, farmers require higher-yielding and high oil content cultivars.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has always been an important summer crop in the South African oilseed industry, and over the years it has gained a reputation as an ideal crop to grow under low-input and relatively marginal conditions.
Sunflower is suited to warm and dry conditions, and production is concentrated mostly in the southern, central and western Free State, North West, and some parts of
