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Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Mar 14 2016

NSA Scholarship Available

The National Sunflower Association is seeking applicants for the Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship. In tribute to the dedicated work of Curtis Stern, an industry advocate and former NSA board member, the NSA Board of Directors established a memorial scholarship in his name. The ND Community Foundation and a committee consisting of NSA members administer the fund. Funds assist students who study in the field of agriculture with special emphasis on sunflower production, promotion, or research. Preference will be given to students who are in their last two years of undergraduate studies or in graduate level studies and have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0=A scale.  Application deadline is Friday, April 1, 2016. $4,500 is available for award this year. Applications can be submitted directly on the ND Community Foundation website. Contact Tina Mittelsteadt at tinam@sunflowernsa.com with any further questions.

NSA Goes to Washington

National Sunflower Association Board members made visits to members of Congress from Kansas, Minnesota, North and South Dakota about farm program issues and Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations. They also met with key staff members of the USDA-ARS to insure continued funding for the Sunflower Research Unit in Fargo, ND. In addition, the group met with officials from the USDA Risk Management Agency about crop insurance issues and USDA APHIS/Wildlife Services about blackbird depredation concerns.

New Field Guide Coming Soon

Compendium of Sunflower Diseases and Pests is an all-new disease and insect compendium that will serve as a vital field guide wherever sunflowers are grown. It includes nearly 300 images and research-based management recommendations, allowing users to scout, identify, and manage a range of diseases and insect pests. NSA has worked with the publisher, The American Phytopathological Society, to secure an exclusive $30 pre-order discount for all NSA members. The book will ship in June 2016, but be sure to pre-order by May 31, to take advantage of this special offer. Use this link to order your copy: www.apsnet.org/apsstore.

Markets

New crop sunflower prices are very competitive with other crops and processors are still offering 2016 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) contracts for fall delivery. Something else to keep in mind is oil premiums that are paid on sunflower. Oil premiums 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%. For example, 45% oil content results in a 10% price premium which pushes gross returns from oil sunflower even higher. USDA made few changes to their monthly US & World supply and demand reports last week. USDA estimated US 2015/16 soybean carryout at 460 million bushels versus February at 450. They dropped the crush slightly due to lower estimated domestic soymeal use and lower soyoil exports. USDA left Brazil’s soybean crop at 100 MMT and Argentina at 58.5 MMT. Next key USDA report is March 31 when they estimate March 1 stocks and US 2016 planted acres by crop. Traders are expecting oil sunflower acres to show an increase from 2015. Confection sunflower acres are expected to be lower than last year.