Nearby sunflower prices were unchanged to up 15 cents at the crush plants this week. New crop was unchanged. RMA has calculated crop insurance prices for spring crops. On the sunflower side, the projected price is 22% higher than last year at $29.40 for oil-type sunflower and 17% higher for confection sunflower at $37.60. USDA updated its statistical guesses at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. USDA pegged soybean acres at 85 million acres, which would be 3.8 million more acres than 2025. USDA forecasts soybean production to rise to 4.45 billion bushels. Ending stocks for 2026/27 are projected at 355 million bushels, up 5 million bushels from the 2025/26 season. USDA expects lower corn acres for the 2026/27 crop year with 94 million acres planted which is 4.8 million acres lower than 2025. USDA is projecting a 15.76 billion bushel crop. Ending stocks are expected to be lower for the 2026/27 crop, at 1.837 billion bushels. Total wheat planted acres are projected at 45 million acres, down nearly 300,000 acres from the 2025/26 crop. Wheat production is expected to be 1.86 billion bushels. Ending wheat stocks are expected to rise to 933 million bushels. The first estimate of 2025 sunflower acres will be in the USDA March Planting Intentions report.
ADM Enderlin, Cargill West Fargo and Colorado Mills crush plants are offering 2026 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) High Oleic contracts. ADM and Cargill are at $22.60 cash and $22.10 AOG. Colorado Mills is at $22.75 AOG. Something else to consider is the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflowers. Sunflower is the only oilseed that pays premiums for oil content above 40%. Considering oil premiums that are offered at the crush plants on oil content above 40% at a rate of 2% price premium for each 1% of oil above 40%; this pushes a contract with 45% oil content gross return 10% higher per cwt. The AOG $22.10 contract increases to $24.30 and the cash $22.60 contract moves up to $24.85.
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