EU’s sunflower harvest hit by dry summer conditions

This year’s harvest of sunflower seed came in considerably lower than 2021 due to extreme dry weather conditions within the EU-27.
It was also short of the long-term average.
According to the latest EU Commission's estimate, 9.3 million tonnes of sunflower seed were harvested in the European Union in 2022.
This was around 10% less than in 2021. In other words, both the 2017 bumper crop of 10.4 million tonnes and the long-term average of 10.2 million tonnes were missed.
The area planted was expanded around 18% to a new record of 5.1 million hectares, but at 19.5 decitonnes per hectare, yields fell nearly 18% short of those reached last year.
The continued dryness and extreme heat over the summer months led to harvest losses. The genetic yield potential could not take effect.
The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) still  regards sunflowers as a crop alternative in some regions in order to expand crop rotations and minimise risks.
The UFOP recommends that in view of the uncertain supply situation for sunflowerseed and sunflower oil from Ukraine farmers take sunflowers into account when planning next year’s sowings.
The annual variety trials that are funded by the UFOP and conducted in cooperation with the responsible regional authorities confirm the high yield potential of both conventional and high-oleic varieties as well as in terms of oil content.