SAFFLOWER INTRODUCED TO FARMERS

Farmers have been advised to turn to safflower farming which can withstand harsh weather conditions and still produces.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Kgakololo Bafaletswe mentioned during a workshop on Mma Mosawe’s farm that the safflower could grow under low moisture and still produce high-quality oil which could be used for cooking and the oil could be used to manufacture salad oil.

He further stated that they could be used to make dyes for the textile industry, livestock forage, herbal teas, and bird seed and they can be used to flavor food. The flower is drought resistant and also survives extreme temperatures.

The Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)’s Professor Valentino Emonger, who has done research on the safflower from 2008-2021 in Botswana, encouraged Batswana to produce the plant to reduce the shortage of oil in the country.

Professor Emonger said although safflower could be planted during any season, it was best in winter. 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 the protein could help with the growth and increasing milk production in dairy cows.