Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Apr 07 2025

2024 Sunflower Crop Quality Report available online

The 2024 U.S. Sunflower Crop Quality Report is now available on the NSA website. To view the report, follow this link to our website: www.sunflowernsa.com/stats/us-crop-quality/. The U.S. Sunflower Crop Quality Report is produced annually by the National Sunflower Association. The report contains useful information about sunflower acreage and production, confection and oil-type seed quality, mid-oleic and high oleic oil quality analysis and oil traits, product specifications, oil trading rules, statistics on marketing the crop, world and U.S. supply and demand tables, sunflower oil and meal exports for the United States and other related topics of interest to those in the industry.

Nuseed moves forward as Nufarm

Nufarm Seeds North America announced they are uniting crop protection and seeds under one brand – Nufarm. Nufarm will continue to deliver through specialized seeds and crop protection teams, bringing innovation across multiple categories. Nuseed will move forward as Nufarm, operating the seeds platform, while the crop protection platform continues to supply solutions to its full range of segments, spanning broad acre and specialty crops, vegetation management, turf and ornamentals.

Markets

Nearby prices were down 25 cents to unchanged with new crop prices down 30 to 50 cents this week at the crush plants. Traders are still chattering about USDA’s March 31 report which had producers planting much higher oil-type sunflower acres than last year. USDA pegged a 62% increase in planted acres from 2024. The estimate for oil-type varieties was within industry expectations. Oilseed crushers and bird food buyers were expecting an acre increase given small carryover seed stocks. Market analysts expect the acreage discussion to continue into the foreseeable future as the battle for acres continues. The March report gave farmers a look at what others are thinking of planting this year. There is still time to adjust plans to take advantage of the market opportunities that sunflowers can offer. Even with the projected increase in acres, crushers and confection processors are still offering 2025 new crop contracts. New crop prices are competitive with other minor oilseeds with oil crushers offering Act of God and cash contracts. Keep in mind oils also receive a 2% price premium for each 1% of oil content that is over 40%. At current prices that can add significantly to the final price when delivered. Traders are also beginning to look at North American weather and potential production problems that may arise. They will also be closely monitoring the latest twists and turns in our fast shifting trade policy and the impacts it may have on commodities.

Work safely around grain

People who work with grain—loading it, unloading it, and moving it from bin to bin—need to know about the hazards of flowing grain and how to prevent a grain entrapment situation. People can become trapped in grain in three different ways: the collapse of bridged grain, the collapse of a vertical wall of grain and entrapment in flowing grain. Moving or flowing grain is involved in all three. Here are some general safety precautions:

Don’t let children work or play in an area where there is flowing grain.
All workers involved in a situation where there is flowing grain should be warned to stay out of the grain.
Warning decals should be placed at all bin entrances, on all rail cars, truck and trailer boxes used for grain hauling and on all gravity discharge wagons.
Never enter a grain bin without stopping the auger first and using “lock-out/tag-out” procedures to secure it.
Never enter a grain bin alone; have at least two people at the bin to assist in case problems arise. Use a safety harness or safety line when entering the bin.
Install a permanent lifeline hanging from the center of the bin for a person to grab on to.
Control the access to grain storage facilities to prevent grain entrapments.

For more information, check out the NDSU publication “Caught in the Grain.” It’s available here: www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/caught-in-the-grain

Upcoming Events

June 24-26, 2025 - NSA Summer Seminar; Bismarck, ND

Markets at a Glance

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, April 7, 2025 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2025 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	47.90	44.89	45.20	+.31	44.90
West Fargo, ND	High Oleic	13.75	26.75	26.50	-.25	22.70
Enderlin, ND	High Oleic	14.00	26.40	26.20	-.20	22.70
Lamar, CO	High Oleic	15.70	26.50	26.50	NC	23.50

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, April 7, 2025
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. locations)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	50.90	43.89	44.20	+.31
Cotton Oil (pbsy)	72.90	69.89	70.20	+.31
Corn Oil	59.00	46.00	46.00	NC

Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. Individual companies have the right to correct any errors that may occur. Contact these facilities for complete market details.

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