Agriculture

The plant is native to Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras,Nicaragua, Panama and US. The amazing sunflower boast of stunning orange or reddish flowers which set it apart from other sunflowers.

It is heat and drought tolerant. In Zimbabwe it grows as a weed and is found in most if not all provinces of the country.

The Mexican wild sunflower popularly known as Muborasango is traditionally used in various cultures for its medicinal properties. These include treating wounds, infections, and even malaria.

In Zimbabwe and most parts of Africa many people eat the leaves as vegitables and do taste as pumpkin leaves.

Studies have shown that the sunflower carries some properties which are antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, chemopreventive, hepatoprotective,repellent, antimalarial, anti-diarrheal, antiemetic, radical scavenging, phytoremediative, biolarvicidal properties.

According to Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005), studies have shown that in America it has been used for treatment of abscesses, infections, snake bites, malaria, and diabetes.In Africa, infusion used for constipation, indigestion, sore throat. In Venezuela, used for treatment of abscess.

In Mexico it is used to treat malaria, hematomas, and muscular pain. In Taiwan, used for diabetes. In Kenya, used for malaria and as antidote for snake bite and to treat ectoparasites in cattle.

In Uganda, used by farmers for field and storage pest management.

Many people do ask how is it used as a medicine

The leaves are used as a medicine for constipation, stomach pains, indigestion, sore throat and liver pains. The leaves should be ground into small pieces, mixed with water, and then the juice drunk. It is also used in treating skin diseases (such as athlete’s foot), night sweats, as a diuretic, hepatitis, jaundice and cystitis.

Other uses

Fodder: it is a suitable species for fodder for cows and goats. The leaves, soft branches and even the plant’s yellow flowers can be eaten by animals as fodder. Tithonia has a high nutrition value

Fuel: Tithonia provides farmers with firewood of it burns up quickly.

Manure; Biomass from the existing locally available shrubs of tithonia that commonly grows on the fields and farm boundaries might be a more economic source of nutrients for crops than the biomass from planted trees as they grow faster and are readily available.

To the farmer it is important to note that the sunflower is a great soil improver especially maize is known to respond well when leaves and cuttings are applied.

Inter-cropping: Tithonia has a positive effect on crop yields when inter-cropped.

So next time when you come across this attractive and distinct sunflower kindly make use it.
Information Source Links
Maundu P. and Bo Tengnas. (2005). Useful trees and shrubs for Kenya, World Agroforestry Centre. ISBN-9966-896-70-8.

Writer Charles Dhewa

Food is the fabric of humanity, it fuels our bodies, gives us the nutrients
we need, brings us together as families, friends, and communities to create lasting memories.

That as it may, in most agriculture-driven economies like Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa, mainstream media has little to no appreciation on how people are using food and local markets to empower themselves through an equation that resultantly transform their lives and economies.

While the power of local narratives is slowly gaining recognition, stories behind every food commodity – how it is produced, who produces it, when and for who needs to be told.

For Zimbabweans in the diaspora, hearing about how food and
markets in their home districts are positively contributing to national and regional development can cure home sickness, connect them with their roots and in a way offer them opportunities for invest back home.

A lot of inter-district and inter-provincial trading goes un-monitored and unreported. Self-organized traders move commodities in cost-effective ways.

For example, sorghum can move from Mwenezi to Karoi without passing through Mbare market in Harare. This is an example of how production zones are market options for each other. As shown below, every district has a vibrant local market, mostly located at business centres or in particular production zones.

(We have selected just a few markets but for whole list visit http://www.emkambo.co.zw/ )

Victoria Falls – Chinotimba Market – The market is always busy with consumers buying horticulture commodities, fruits, tubers and field crops like maize, Amabele, inyawuthi and others.

Bulawayo – Malaleni, Shasha and Fife Street market – Bulawayo has the second biggest mass market in Zimbabwe handling more than 60 different commodities from diverse districts of the country, from other markets and from as far as Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia.

Some of the horticulture major sources include Umguza, Macheke, Beitbridge, Marondera and Fig tree with potatoes coming in increased quantities from Nyanga, Gweru and Harare. Binga,Gokwe. Mwenezi and Tsholotsho are main sources of groundnuts, traditional grains, Nkukhumakhaya and Guinea fowls while goats come from Beitbridge, Gwanda, Insiza, Esigodini and Plumtree.
Beitbridge Market – The demand for leaf vegetable remains constant at R20 for rape and R30 for covo. Tomatoes are mainly supplied by local producers. On the livestock section cattle, goats and sheep are priced at R7000, R700 and R550 respectively. Sweet potatoes, traditional grains and groundnuts often come from Chipinge, Masvingo, Mwenezi and Gokwe with local producers supplying water melons and fruits like lemon, oranges and grapefruit. A sizeable quantity of commodities come from South Africa.

Tsholotsho Market – Tsholotsho market is always busy throughout the week with diverse
commodities including tomatoes, sweet potatoes, leafy vegetables, indigenous chickens and goats.

Gokwe Centre Market – A big source of fresh produce for the growing Gokwe town and a source of income from surrounding farming communities in Njelele and Chomumvuri villages. Enterprising traders source some commodities from Harare, Kwekwe and Gweru while Binga is the main source of fish. Gokwe South communities have become renowned sources of groundnuts with sweet potato production replacing cotton whose fortunes have been going down over the years due to absence of a reliable market.

Nyanga Market – Located in a major production zone for fruits and vegetables, the market always showcases all commodities produced in the district including apples, banana, avocadoes as well as onion and all kinds of leafy vegetables, not forgetting potatoes which are one of the leading commodities for Nyanga district thanks to a more suitable climate. Some parts of Nyanga are also good for field crops like groundnuts, maize and sugar beans.

Doma Market – Few people may know that Doma has a vibrant local market that provides a wide range of leafy vegetables, tomatoes, onion, sugar beans, butternuts, sweet potatoes and many others including indigenous chickens produced by local farmers.

Nhedziwa Market – Chimanimani– This is one of the most vibrant local markets in Zimbabwe
functioning as an aggregator for Chimanimani districts. The market handles a lot of fruits, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, honey, tubers and diverse field crops enroute to big markets like Mutare,Masvingo, Bulawayo and Harare

Mutare Market – Macheke, Chimanimani and Birchenough are the main suppliers of cabbages and tomatoes into all markets in Mutare. Local sources include Penhalonga, Muchena as well as Zimunya. Magogoya and Madhumbe also dominate the market when in season. Fruits like avocadoes and banana come from Rusitu, Burma Valley and Chipinge with a lot of ripening happening at the market. Some commodities and traders come from Mozambique.

Rusape Vhengere Market –Besides tomatoes and leafy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes and sweet potatoes dominate the market. A wide range of fruits like apples from Nyanga as well as tubers like magogoya and madhumbe are a key feature of the market when in season including tsenza. Like every mass market, maize and traditional grains are always found in the market.

Mbare Market (Harare) – Mbare is the biggest mass market in Zimbabwe now comprising more than 17 commodity-specific markets. The market was characterised by high traffic of both customers and traders. Vendors from different suburbs flood the market daily even during holidays and weekends.

A wide range of commodities that are not found in small cities are found in Harare and some come from neighbouring countries like Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. Further afield, some commodities come from Tanzania and Egypt (for example, grapes and plums).

Buhera -Murambinda Market – Buhera district is blessed with all of Zimbabwe’s five natural regions which enables the production of diverse field crops, fruits and horticulture. The district is a major producer of groundnuts, traditional grains and baobab fruit. Irrigation schemes are stimulating horticulture. A wide range of indigenous chickens and broilers are often found in the market.

Chakari. All kinds of field crops and chickens are found in the market including eggs. Fruits include avocados, banana and oranges.

Charles@knowledgetransafrica.com / charles@emkambo.co.zw /
info@knowledgetransafrica.com www.emkambo.co.zw / www.knowledgetransafrica.com
Mobile: 0772 137 717/ 0774 430 309/0712737430