Harvesting, Post-Harvest Handling, and Marketing Oil Crop

Sunflower. Sunflower matures within 90 to 95 days. The heads are ready for harvest when the neck of flower disk turns from green to yellowish brown. to harvest, cut the stalk below the head using a scythe or lingkaw. Spread the harvest heads in a single layer on dry ground with their faces turn skyward. The heads are sufficiently dried when the seeds can be easily shattered.

Sesame. The crop can be harvested when the leaves of the plants turn yellowish. Using a scythe or lingkaw, cut the stalks and tie them to small bundles. Arrange the bundles upright to dry for three days or more depending on the weather condition. These bundles are ready for threshing when the seeds shatter easily.

Threshing can be done through the following method;

1. Beating with a bamboo or wooden stick.
2. Use of Carabao.
3. Use of ordinary file thresher.

Peanut. Peanut should be harvested when the leaves wither and turn yellow, pods turn to a brownish color, and the kernel loosens. Peanut can be harvested by merely hand pulling the plant if the soil is loose.

Marketing

Marketing oil crops sometimes poses a problem among small farmers. Big time businessman monopolize the production and processing oil crops in the country and dictate its market price while buying the produce of small farmer at a low price. To prevent such monopoly, cooperatives should be organized especially by small farmer raisers. 

If a direct-to-consumer trade cannot be done the following marketing schemes are suggested:

1. Farmer-Coop-NFA tie-up.
2. Farmer-NFA-Processor-tie-up.
3. Farmer-Local Trade tie-up.
4. Farmer-Processor tie-up

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