24 Nov 2022

Farmers have been urged to venture into safflower production. Safflower is a multi-purpose plant that can withstand semi-arid conditions.

Ministry of Agriculture official, Mr Kgakololo Bafaletswe made the call during a workshop at Mma Mosarwe’s farm, near Metsimotlhabe on Tuesday.

He said the plant was drought resistant and could grow under low moisture and extreme temperatures.

Mr Bafaletswe said safflower was grown mainly for its high-quality oil used for cooking, making margarine and as salad oil, while its flowers can be used for colouring and flavouring food, making dyes for the textile industry, livestock forage and seed cake, herbal teas, bird seed and for medicinal purposes.

He said most varieties were spiny, while others were spineless, with flower colour varying from bright yellow, orange, red to white.

In 2021, 37 farmers in Kweneng North clustered themselves to import safflower with the intention of increasing its seeds in the country.

Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)’s Professor Valentino Emonger, who was one of the researchers of safflower from 2008-2021 in Botswana, urged Batswana to produce the plant for cooking oil as there was shortage in the country.

He further stated that after harvest, the remains could be used for livestock feed to boost protein.

Professor Emonger said although safflower could be planted during any season, it was best in winter.

He said its leaves could be harvested after four weeks of planting.

He said petals were harvested from the plant to make medicinal products, while livestock farmers could extract hay before and after harvesting was done, adding that its protein could help in growth and increasing milk production in dairy cows.

The owner of Mma Mosarwe’s farm and chairperson of Kweneng North Farmers association, Ms Sarah Mosarwe, encouraged farmers to grow safflower, saying it did not need too much water for growth.

She further advised farmers to group themselves to help curb exorbitant costs of extraction machines. Ends