Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Aug 26 2019

Crop Progress

Sunflower harevest continues in Texas, where 46% of the crop is reported harvested. Meanwhile, in North Dakota, sunflowers are nearly done blooming, wiht one percent reported in the bracts yellow stage. That's well behind last year's 30%, but over 80% of the state's sunflower crop is rated in good to excellent condition.

Crop Progress - Monday, August 26, 2019

State	This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5 Year Average
North Dakota
Blooming	94	83	---	---
Petals Dry	19	10	63	40
Bracts Yellow	1	---	30	---
Texas
Harvested	46	42	59	40

Crop Conditions - Monday, August 26, 2019

State	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
North Dakota	0	2	17	76	5
Colorado	0	0	20	66	14
Minnesota	0	1	17	69	13

USDA Provides Help with Blackbirds

As sunflowers ripen blackbirds are beginning to appear and cause problems. The USDA can help; click here for a map with phone numbers for USDA Wildlife Services personnel that can help North Dakota producers who have blackbird problems. Some other ways to reduce damage include cattail management, cannons, harassment, desiccants, and repellants. They are even more effective when used together.

Grower Report

It’s been a rainy month in northwestern Minnesota and Crookston, Minnesota grower Kevin Capistran is hoping for some warm and sunny days to finish out the month. Capistran says the sunflower crop looks good, but the rainy weather could cause some disease issues. Minnesota is coming off a record high sunflower yield last year, and Capistran says the sunflowers appear to be on track for another great year, providing the weather cooperates.

Markets

Old crop prices finished the week mixed at down 5 to up 5 cents after setting a new market high for the fourth week in a row at the North Dakota crush plants. Since the beginning of August old crop prices have gained 75 cents per cwt. At this same time last year, old crop prices were in a range of $17.30-$17.40 for NuSun with high oleic at $17.35-$17.40. This is a difference of $1.00-$1.25 for NuSun and $1.30-$1.35 per cwt. for high oleic versus current prices. Sunflower prices are not facing the headwinds some other commodities are currently experiencing as there is robust market demand for seed. The need for seed has also helped boost new crop prices for NuSun and high oleic to market highs this week as well.The sunflower growing states have mostly adequate moisture, but crop development is behind the five-year average normal pacein most areas. In states reporting crop conditions, the crop is being rated at 80 to 82 percent good to excellent condition. This should mean that yields will be above trend assuming normal weather through the rest of this fall and the lack of an early freeze. Based on the cool weather in the week ahead, the crop will need more heat units later in the season than normal to finish development. Traders will be keeping an eye on growing conditions and any demand news in the week ahead.