Starting a sunflower oil farming or production business is capital intensive, but it is a money spinning business if it is well located and if you are able to create a robust distribution network.
Why start a Sunflower Oil farming/production business?
It is almost certified that no entrepreneur would want to go into any business that has slim chances of making a profit, hence the need to start a business whose products or services is accepted and used by all. One such business is the production of sunflower oil. It is a fact that all homes, restaurants, hotels and related businesses make use of oil on a daily basis.
Sunflowers are large plants and are grown throughout the world because of their relatively short growing season. Sunflower plants reach various heights, but most are from 1.52-2.1m tall. The diameter of the flower heads is relatively large, typically between 7.62 and 15.24cm, although some can measure more than 30cm. A common characteristic of sunflowers is a tendency for their flowering heads to follow the movement of the sun during the day. This phenomenon, called heliotropism, has the benefit of reducing damage from birds and preventing the development of disease.
Sunflowers are used to make oil, meal and confectionery products. Oil and meal are processed from the same sunflower seed varieties. The seed variety used for confectionery products has a lower percentage of oil. The seed is usually black with white stripes and is larger than the seed cultivated for oil extraction; the hull is heavier and less firmly attached to the kernel, and its oil content rarely exceeds 35%. Sunflower oil manufacture involves cleaning the seeds, grinding them, pressing and extracting the crude oil from them, and further refining. In extracting the oil, a volatile hydrocarbon such as hexane is used as a solvent to extract the oil.
