Inputs and pic from Vinay Pais
for Daijiworld Media Network (MB)

Udupi, Mar 12: Sunflower farming, which is rarely pursued as a commercial crop, is now picking up its pace along the coastal line, beginning with Brahmawar of Udupi Taluk.

The farming couple Joseph Banz and Violet Banz of Matapadi have worked hard and raised their farm. It is a rare achievement for any locals.

Grown in a field of about  0.75 acre with the initial encouragement and assistance provided by the department of agriculture, the farm has been the cynosure for the eyes for all visitors from the coastal districts, which proves the efforts of the successful couple.

What is remarkable is that they have raised the farm in mere 55 days, on 2-foot-high soil bunds, mixed with sand and water.

Though experts from the central department of agriculture had suggested 93 days of growth from day one, this couple reaped a yield much earlier than expected. having given adequate quantity of organic manure and enough water.

They are confident of increasing the yield though they had launched this rare farming on an experimental basis. Besides they have also grown paddy by adopting a system called 'Shri Paddhati', which had earlier been tried in Kundapur also. But the Barneses were the first to have found success in this unique kind of farming of commercial crop.

However, they do not fail to caution the visitors to their farm that sunflowers are not free from diseases, but, yet, with better care and attention, one could always get a better yield.