Sunflower Highlights
Post Date: Apr 27 2020
2019 Sunflower Crop Quality Report available online
The 2019 U.S. Sunflower Crop Quality Report is now available on the NSA website. To view the report, click here. 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.
USMCA to enter into force July 1
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has notified Congress that Canada and Mexico have taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), and that the Agreement will enter into force on July 1, 2020. Following that notification to Congress, the United States became the third country to complete its domestic procedures to implement the agreement. The final step necessary for the USMCA to enter into force. Having a USMCA agreement in place is great news for sunflower products as oil, meal, confection in-shell seed and kernel will continue to have duty free access in two of our most important markets, Canada and Mexico.
Deadline for NSA scholarship is this week 
The deadline to apply for the National Sunflower Association’s Curtis Stern Memorial Scholarship is Friday, May 1. 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 cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0=A scale. Application deadline is May 1, 2020. A total of $5,000 is available for the scholarship this year. Applications can be submitted online. Click here to learn more.  Contact Tina Mittelsteadt at tinam@sunflowernsa.com with any questions.
Planting considerations 
As sunflower planting approaches for the major production region, it is important to take a close look at planter conditions and settings. Achieving the perfect plant stand is one of the most critical challenges for growers each year. The NSA website offers a series of tutorial videos featuring John Smith, Agricultural Engineer with the University of Nebraska at Scottsbluff. Smith conducted seed placement tests on oil sunflower and large seeded confections using a variety of metering and planter types. His observations and recommendations for calibration and adjustments to achieve excellent plant spacing can be viewed online here
Upcoming Events
August 20, 2020
NSA High Plains Committee Meeting
Goodland, KS
 
January 13-14, 2021
NSA Research Forum
Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND
 
 
Markets
Nearby sunflower prices continued under pressure last week due to increased producer sales and delivery of seed ahead of spring planting. Nearby NuSun and high oleic prices were unchanged to down 45 cents depending on delivery point. New crop prices were also lower this week down 30 to 40 cents as producers are taking advantage of attractive 2020 new crop prices and signing contracts for delivery this fall. So far, there are no major planting delays with little weather issues occurring in the U.S. as planting progress is off to an average start. Traders are expecting good planting progress to continue across the Midwest in the days ahead. With the recent drop in corn prices, some feel intended planted acres for corn may get switched to soybeans instead. USDA indicated that U.S. soybean growers would plant 83.5 million acres in 2020, up 10% from last year. Some in the industry feel that planted soybean acres might be closer to 84.5 or 85 million acres given current corn prices. If realized this would be the third highest planted acreage on record and could pressure new crop oilseed prices as soybeans face a plentiful global supply and stiff international competition. The potential of increased soybean acres coupled with the unknown impact of the coronavirus on demand leaves the market murky at best in the short term. Markets will probably trade mostly sideways until more is known later this spring and early summer.
Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, April 27, 2020 ($/CWT)
  Deliver Last Year Last Week This Week Change 2020 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil Nearby 27.88 25.98 24.99 -.99 26.36
West Fargo, ND NuSun 17.40 19.30 19.00 -.30 17.45
West Fargo, ND High Oleic 17.90 20.10 19.65 -.45 17.45
Enderlin, ND NuSun 17.30 19.80 19.45 -.35 16.95
Enderlin, ND High Oleic 17.70 20.00 19.75 -.25 17.35
Goodland, KS NuSun 16.55 18.45 18.45 NC 17.10
Goodland, KS High Oleic 17.65 19.20 19.20 NC 18.25
Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. All prices are subject to change. Contact these facilities for complete market details.
U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, April 27, 2020
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. location)
  Last Year Last Week This Week Change
Soybean Oil 26.88 25.18 24.09 -1.14
Cotton Oil (psby) 37.19 40.98 40.61 -.37
Corn Oil 30.00 46.00 46.00 NC
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