Nearby prices were unchanged while new crop prices were down 20 cents to unchanged this week at the crush plants. Commodity futures have been volatile in recent sessions as war in the Middle East disrupts global markets. The ongoing uncertainty over the Middle East war is adding to the broader risk-on mindset across markets. Traders are hopeful recent news that President Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran could lead to a resolution to the confrontation. Traders are also monitoring harvest progress in South America. In Brazil, the 2025/26 soybean harvest is nearly complete, and the Safras & Mercado consultancy has slightly raised its production estimates to 6.548 billion bushels. This is in line with most estimates, which are generally coming in between 6.5 billion and 6.6 billion bushels. That would be a record-breaking crop, if realized. Brazil’s record large soybean crop is projected to produce a challenging global supply environment for U.S. exports in the months ahead and put pressure soybean prices. There is still time to adjust plans to take advantage of the market opportunities that sunflowers can offer. The sunflower market is mainly centered on the U.S. market. It has not faced the same market pressure and offers the opportunity to diversify market risk in these turbulent times.
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 is at $22.90 cash and $22.40 AOG. Cargill is at $22.95 cash and 22.45 AOG. Colorado Mills is at $22.00 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 $22.40 contract increases to $24.65 and the cash $22.95 contract moves up to $25.25.
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