Growing a sunny future in Tanzania

Timothy has been growing a traditional variety of sunflower on his farm in Manyara, Tanzania for over a decade. But the increasingly dry weather is making it more and more difficult for him to keep his crops blooming and his harvests have been reduced by more than half in recent years.

Sunflowers are a popular crop in Tanzania. They are inexpensive to grow, and demand for the harvested seeds is increasing as more people turn to locally produced sunflower oil for cooking.

Small-scale farmers like Timothy are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, and many are struggling with the unpredictable weather. That’s why Farm Africa’s Flourishing Futures project is so important.

This will mean they are able to prosper despite the challenging weather conditions. We are also working with sunflower oil processors who will buy the seeds from the farmers, and provide employment opportunities for members of the wider community.

Timothy was one of the first people to join the project. Like most small-scale farmers he was reliant on traditional sunflowers seeds that he could buy locally. But these traditional varieties of sunflowers struggle to survive in dry conditions, so he often saw his hard work wiped out when the rains didn’t come.

Farm Africa introduced the project members to an improved variety of seed called Hysun 33, which can thrive in dry conditions. Timothy managed to harvest nearly five times as many seeds from just one acre of Hysun 33 flowers than he harvested from five acres of the traditional variety!

Farm Africa / Eliza Powell

Timothy’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. He is now acting as a model farmer to inspire others to try the new seeds, so they too can build a source of income that they can rely on, whatever the weather.