Argentina expects biggest sunflower seed harvest in almost three decades

According to recent data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), global sunflower seed production will likely reach 54.1 million tonnes in the current marketing season.
This figure is not only 2.1 million tonnes higher than previously expected but also far exceeds the previous year's level of nearly 52.1 million tonnes.
According to USDA data, the ongoing harvest in Argentina is projected to be around 1.5 million tonnes larger than had been expected in February, reaching 7 million tonnes.
This would be the largest harvest in 28 years, mainly due to an expansion in the production area for the 2026 harvest at the expense of cotton, especially in northern Argentina.
Harvest operations are currently in full swing and are expected to continue until April. Yields obtained so far have been encouraging.
The USDA therefore revised its forecast upward by 0.3 decitonnes per hectare to 23.3 decitonnes per hectare, matching the previous year's result.
The USDA also revised its forecast for the Ukrainian harvest.
According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft, the country's harvest is projected at 11 million tonnes, around 500,000 tonnes more than expected in February.
This would nevertheless represent the smallest harvest in 12 years.
The USDA further raised the crop outlook for Kazakhstan by 64,000 tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes, representing an increase of approximately 700,000 tonnes compared to 2024/25.