GGML-supported sunflower farming strengthens rural livelihoods

GEITA: IN Kasota, Geita, sunflower farmer and seamstress Monica Kazinza is among a growing group of smallholder farmers whose livelihoods have been strengthened through the support of community development initiatives and cooperative organisations.

A sunflower market assessment conducted by Farm Africa indicates the growing domestic demand for cooking oil at an estimated 500,000 metric tonnes ensuring competitive margins and increased participation of smallholder farmers across the value chain.

According to the World Bank’s Tanzania Agriculture Expenditure review of 2022, more than 65 per cent of Tanzanians rely on agriculture for income, diversification and value addition are becoming central to rural economic resilience.

Monica, a mother of eight, balances her days between farming and tailoring. Mornings are spent in her fields tending to sunflower crops; evenings are dedicated to sewing, fulfilling orders from neighbours and local traders.

She joined the Sunflower and Rice Farming Association in 2018 after recognising the potential of sunflower farming to enhance household income, a decision that significantly transformed her economic outlook.

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The association, which brings together farmers across Kasota and surrounding areas of Nyakabale, Bugulula and Saragulwa, received a major boost in 2017 when Geita Gold Mining Limited (GGML) launched a livelihood-strengthening intervention for its members. GGML offered free agricultural training, provided improved sunflower seeds, and later constructed and equipped a sunflower oil processing plant in Kasota.

The facility allows farmers to bring their seeds for shelling, pressing and filtration, significantly increasing the value of their produce before sale.

For Monica, the shift to sunflower farming filled critical income gaps. Looking back on her experience over the past seven years and where she stands today, she shared, “Before, I had a very low income,” she recalls. “But sunflower farming brought me profit.” Her tailoring business, once supported by a single machine, now runs on two, both purchased with earnings from her harvests.

National data mirrors her experience. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), value-added processing and access to inputs are two of the most effective ways to raise smallholder incomes in developing economies.

Sunflowers, in particular, have become an attractive crop for rural farmers due to their resilience: They thrive even in poor soils, have a longer growing season and offer larger yields and higher returns compared to traditional crops such as cassava, cotton or millet, crops that often leave farmers vulnerable to price fluctuations and seasonal shocks.

The crop’s versatility also supports sustainable land management. Farmers in the Association practice crop rotation between sunflower and millet, improving soil health and reducing pests, an approach recommended by agronomists and aligned with national agricultural strategies aiming to increase productivity.

Reflecting on the impact, Simon Shayo, Vice-President of Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, said, “For twenty-five years, GGML has invested in practical, scalable livelihood programmes that strengthen the economic resilience of communities around the mine.

Our support to the Sunflower & Rice Farmers Association, including training, improved seeds and the construction of the Kasota processing plant, was designed to create a structured value chain that farmers can rely on for stable income.

These initiatives are part of our broader commitment to ensuring that local enterprise development continues to generate measurable benefits long after the crops leave the field.”

Although Monica still faces challenges, such as limited labour during peak farming periods, her ambitions continue to grow. She hopes to open a small office in Kasota to sell both her own sunflower oil and that of fellow farmers in the Association. Her vision is to create a local marketplace that serves the entire farming community.

Her story illustrates the tangible impact of targeted agricultural support and the potential of resilient crops to strengthen household incomes. As Tanzania pushes toward enhancing rural livelihoods under national development frameworks, examples like Monica’s demonstrate how combined efforts, from cooperatives and private sector partners like GGML, are helping smallholder farmers build more secure and sustainable futures.

Speaking about the broader transformation among farmers, Saakumi Makungu Basolile, Chairperson of the Sunflower and Rice Farmers’ Association in Kasota Council, Bugula, describes his own journey as an example of how sunflower farming has brought new hope.

He shared, “Before I began growing sunflowers, I was farming cassava, cotton and commercial fruits, but cotton was a gamble,” he says. “You plant in November, wait until June, spray pesticides three times and then the price is set by the government, often it’s not even enough to recover the effort you invested. We were farming, but earning real money was a struggle.”