Nearby prices at the crush plants were unchanged this week. The Cargill West Fargo crush plant has rolled out its 2023/2024 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) contracts. NuSun cash is $25.90 and $24.90 AOG. High oleics are $27.15 cash and $26.15 AOG. Something else to consider is the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflower. 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 $24.90 contract increases to $27.40, and the cash $27.15 contract moves up to $29.90. The weather forecast for the next two weeks continues to predict above normal temperatures and drier than normal moisture conditions in the sunflower growing region. This bodes well for crop dry down as the sunflower crop continues to mature at a rapid rate. Harvest continues to move along in Texas and is ahead of the five-year average. Trading in the week ahead will focus on the USDA Grain Stocks report that will be released this week. Traders are expecting sunflower stocks to be down from a year ago and below the five-year average. USDA will give its first estimate of 2022 sunflower production in October.

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