A bright yellow flower could be a key to economic development in the southeast region of Saskatchewan.

The Southeast Regional Economic Development Association (SEREDA) is trying to get funding from the provincial government to conduct a feasibility study into sunflower production and processing, which could lead to development of a facility in the Weyburn area.

"The idea behind it is to research to see if sunflower seed processing is viable for this region - if it's something that would work," said Dylan Clark, manager of SEREDA.

Jim Thorson, a sunflower producer and board member of the National Sunflower Association of Canada, said the plants enjoy a popular market.

"If you look at it from a world perspective, it's actually a fairly major crop. It's grown around the world and it's really a major crop in Europe, eastern Europe, even South Africa grows it, it's just about everywhere."

Thorson farms in the Penzance area, north of Regina and is also on the Saskatchewan Sunflower Committee. His experience has been that new varieties of sunflowers seem to be successful in Saskatchewan.

Being native to North America gives the crop both bad and good characteristics, he noted.

"Every insect or disease which is known to sunflowers is already here, because we have wild sunflowers.

"But the other thing I've noticed is you never seem to get anything that will wipe them out," Thorson added, suggesting, "It's almost like they've been here so long they've got that equilibrium."

Sunflowers are also able to handle adverse weather conditions, especially drought.

"They have a unique ability of shutting down when it gets too hot and dry and then when it rains again they keep growing. It isn't that they don't need moisture, it's just that they don't use it when it's not there," Thorson noted.

Since conditions exist for growing sunflowers in Saskatchewan, Thorson said it would make sense to have a processing facility in the province.

"A problem with sunflowers (is) because they're so light, the transportation down to where you get them processed costs a lot. So having processing close to where you grow them really makes sense."

Currently, Saskatchewan is second in sunflower production in Canada, next to Manitoba.

Thorson estimated that 80 per cent of the sunflowers grown in Manitoba are for confectionery purposes, while oilseed varieties fare better in Saskatchewan.

Bird seed is a popular hobby and a huge market, Thorson said, noting oilseed sunflowers are the major ingredient in bird seed.

SEREDA has approached Saskatchewan Industry and Resources for funding for the study, which will offer the best uses and possibilities for sunflowers in the province.

Clark is optimistic the study will go ahead and said, "If the results of that are positive and say it's something that would work, what we'd be doing is we'd be promoting the development of a processing plant in this region."

With a processing facility comes creation of a new industry as well as jobs and the opportunity for producers to sell their sunflowers locally, Clark noted.

If the study receives a thumbs-up, Clark said the goal would be to have it wrapped up by March of 2004.

Starting with a study is the best way of going about getting into the business Thorson said.

"Studying it is the way to go though - you've really got to go into it with your eyes open because there are a lot of people and companies involved all through North America."

Thorson spoke about this project to the Southeast REDA at their annual general meeting on June 24.