Are you interested in starting a sunflower farm? If so, read our detailed business planning guides for starting sunflower production with processes and management.
Starting a sunflowers-growing farm requires a lot of space. Sunflowers require lots of sunlight and fertile soil to grow properly.
A farmer who wants to grow sunflowers must have enough space to plant them. Farmers who do not have enough space can rent out their farmland to someone else.
Why Sunflower Farming?
- Sunflower is a high-profit crop in oilseeds.
- Sunflowers take a very short period of time (80-115 days) to grow.
- Rainfall doesn’t affect its growth.
- Sunflower performs well in different types of soils and climatic conditions.
- Pest and disease management on sunflowers is easy to manage using timely preventative and curative methods.
- Sunflowers offer a good price for their crops.
- Premium when compared to other vegetable fats.
- Sunflowers are extremely profitable compared to other plants in the same stage of development.
Sunflower Farming Business Plan for Beginners
1. Do a Study about Sunflower Farming
To start a successful sunflowers farm, you need to be well-informed about the crops and their growing processes. You can learn about these things by attending workshops at agricultural universities, contacting your local agriculture department for information, or asking an experienced sunflowers farmer for advice.
2. Sunflower Farming Business Plan
You first need to figure out how much it would cost to buy seeds, fertilizers, nutritional supplements, pesticides, and labor for growing sunflowers.
Also, determine the cost of harvesting the sunflowers. Calculating the cost of harvesting the seeds can help you decide whether or not you should sell them. You may also contact the buyers who buy sunflowers seeds locally. Determine the best seller who will pay you for your sunflowers seeds.
3. Ideal Soil for Sunflower Farming
Soil conditions are especially important for sunflower production. They’re best suited to moderately drained soil, such as loam and sandy soils.
Sunflowers can grow on other soil types, but they usually produce fewer seeds and take longer to mature if they’re not planted on ideal soil.
Sunflowers don’t like prolonged wet conditions and shouldn’t be planted in low-level, water-logged soil.
4. Fix the Seed variety you want to grow
Sunflowers grow best when planted during the summer months. They require ample sunlight and warm temperatures for their flowers to open.
There are so many brands of rapeseed available in the market for seed cultivation. You will need to choose one which is a high-yielding hybrid with a high yield and has good resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses.
5. Procure supplies
Besides seeds, you will also have to focus on fertilizers and nutrient levels. Soil testing makes it possible to categorize soils into four classes: Very Low (VL), Low (L), Medium (M), High (H), and Very High (VH).
Fertility rates are determined by the availability of essential elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, boron, molybdenum, cobalt, nickel, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, selenium, silicon.
To achieve better yields in sunflowers, you need to apply the right dose of fertilizer. A fertilizer containing phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, and boron is needed for growing sunflowers successfully.
6. Cost of Starting Sunflower Farming Business
The costs and investment of growing sunflowers depend on the location of the farm, the size of the plot, the type of soil, the quality of seed, and the use of fertilizers.
Even though sunflowers require less space than most crops, they still require some investment. For example, sunflowers typically require at least $15 to $20 worth of seeds for every single plant grown. They usually don’t grow well without proper soil preparation either.
Sunflower costs approximately Rs. 12,000 per hectare in India.
7. Pest and Disease Management in Sunflower Farming
Some recommended preventive measures include spraying pesticides before the first 50 days to protect against attacks from Helicoverpa and infestations of Alternaria.
To prevent some viral diseases, sow the seed after July and control insects with a timely application of systemic insecticides during the first 40 d.
It is also important for farmers to follow the recommendations of local agricultural universities regarding pest and disease control in sunflower production.
8. Harvesting in Sunflower Farming
It’s important to harvest at the right time to avoid losing crops due to late-season disease. Harvest sunflowers when they’re ready for picking.
If you harvest too soon, you may end up with a low-quality crop, which could result in reduced yields, increased costs, and the possibility of further losses due to additional grain loss.
If you harvest too late, you may lose some of the seeds because they could be damaged by rain, wind, hail, frost, and other factors.
9. How Many Yields Can You Expect from Sunflower Farming
Yielding depends on the location. On average, one can expect a grain production of between 300-500 kg per acre of land under normal rainfalls. If the land is irrigated, yields increase to between 1000-1500 kg per acre.
10. Post-Harvesting Storage and Selling
Before storing sunflowers, dry them thoroughly. Store sunflowers only if they’re not too moist. Keep the humidity below 10% and temperatures between 60°F and 80°F. When shipping sunflowers, make sure they arrive in good shape.
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