Smallest sunflower seed harvest in four years

According to recent data from the International Grains Council (IGC), global sunflower seed production will probably reach 50.1 million tonnes in the current season.
This figure is not only 100,000 tonnes lower than previously expected, representing a 12.4% decline compared to the 2023/24 crop year, but also marks the smallest harvest in four years.
According to the IGC data, Russia, Ukraine and the EU - the three largest producers of sunflower seed - experienced especially sharp harvest declines compared to the previous year. In Argentina, harvest operations are currently in full swing.
Extreme heat and dry conditions recently reduced yields in the country's most important sunflower seed producing regions.
In light of this, the IGC lowered its forecast 100,000 tonnes from the previous month. However, research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft suggests that approximately 90% of the crops were still in good or excellent condition as of mid-February. Consequently, the harvest, currently projected at 4.0 million tonnes, is expected to increase around 2.6 per cent on 2024.
The US harvest is also seen to be smaller than previously forecast. At around 500,000 tonnes, it likely amounts to only half the previous year’s total of 1 million tonnes. By contrast, the estimate for Ukraine's harvest was slightly revised upward. The currently expected 13 million tonnes nevertheless represent a 21.2% decline from the previous year’s volume.