Hysun-36, a new variety of hybrid sunflowers, is offering hope for achieving self-sufficiency in vegetable oil production in the country.

ACI, a company working with agricultural production, announced this achievement after successfully cultivating the crop in an experimental phase, according to a press release.

Sudhir Chandra Nath, Business Director of ACI, highlighted the characteristics of Hysun-36, stating that it is a short-term crop with a lifespan of 100–110 days.

It is also tolerant of drought and saline soil conditions. The oil content of the variety is 46–48 percent, and it has a yield of 11.75 maunds per bigha.

Currently, Bangladesh has a demand for 2.4 million tonnes of edible oil, of which 88 percent, or 21.1 million tonnes, needs to be imported.

ACI aims to meet at least 40 percent of this demand with locally produced edible oil. The Hysun-36 variety is particularly suitable for the region's climate and saline soil conditions.

Moreover, it offers higher profitability for farmers compared to other crops.