Indian sunflowers are blooming in Uganda, thanks to University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru (UAS-B) transferring their hybrid seed know-how to the East African country, an official said.

"We have recently transferred the germplasm technology of hybrid sunflower variety (KBSH-53) to Uganda, as another variety (KBSH-41) is already popular in the African country," the university's Research Director Y.G. Shadakshari told IANS.

The seed know-how was transferred under an agreement between the two countries through the National Bio-diversity Authority at Centre and the state.

With modified equatorial climate, Uganda is a landlocked country around Kenya, Sudan, Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania in East-Central Africa.

"Uganda has shown interest in our variety of sunflowers, whose edible oil is used for cooking a variety of dishes. Seed varieties KBSH-53 and KBSH-78 were developed as part of the agreement. The new variety (KBSH-53) will be used for cultivation after it is cleared through field tests," said Shadakshari.

Once the Ugandan regulator certifies the Indian variety, its seeds will be given to the local farmers for growing the sunflowers, which bloom and blossom facing the sun.

"The sunflower sector in Uganda made a significant contribution to its economy, as is evident from 2017 data, when 2.4 lakh hectares of land was used for growing the edible flowers," recalled Shadakshari.

Sunflower is used to make assorted oils, animal feeds and its seeds are used as snacks.

"Though sunflowers are popular in India as cooking oil and animal feed, its seeds are used for snacks in Uganda, where the demand for the Indian variety has been growing," asserted Shadakshari.

(IANS)