CAU conducts 'Field Day on Sunflower Cultivation'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 29 2026:
The Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal, organised a Farmers' Field Day on "Sunflower Cultivation in Rice Fallow", today at Nilakuthi Mayai leikai in Imphal East district.
The event was held under the NEH-Component of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Hyderabad, India.
The programme was attended by dignitaries, including Dr L M Gamayak, Director, Directorate of Research, CAU; Dr I Bhupendra, Deputy Director, Directorate of Extension Education; Prof Ng Iboyaima, Director of Extension Education; and Prof Dipak Nath.
During the event, Dr Gamayak highlighted the potential of sunflower cultivation in the region, noting its popularity and multiple benefits.
"Cultivating sunflowers gives you oil and opens up opportunities for beekeeping, making it a win-win", he said, encouraging farmers to adopt this approach.
Prof Ng Iboyaima welcomed the growing trend of sunflower cultivation in fallow lands, citing its potential benefits.
However, he also highlighted a key challenge: sunflower seeds' high oil content can lead to spoilage and nutritional degradation if stored long-term.
To tackle this, the College of Food Technology is training people to create value-added sunflower products.
Efforts are also underway to process the leftover protein-rich residue into a food supplement powder and creating alternatives to imported sunflower seeds, he added.




