Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Dec 16 2019

Confection Crop Quality

Confection sunflower growers and processors faced a myriad of challenges in the 2019 growing season that seemed to become more uncooperative as one traveled north through the sunflower growing region of North America. Especially hard hit were growers in the Dakotas and Minnesota which started with delayed planting, the cool growing season, and excessively wet weather in September that has continued into the colder months with snow. The soggy weather conditions led to quality problems with Sclerotinia and dark roast becoming major factors in confection seed quality. Sunflowers remain in the fields at higher than normal moisture rates that may cause continued quality problems. With smaller than expected production, processors will do their best to meet the needs of customers until 2020 production is available.

Registration is now open for the 2020 NSA Research Forum, scheduled for January 8-9, 2020 at the Holiday Inn (3803 13^th Ave. S, Fargo, ND). Click here to register. You’ll find hotel information there also. Rooms are still available at the Holiday Inn for the special NSA Research Forum price of $100 (plus tax) per night. Call 877-282-2700 to reserve your room; these rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. Register now at the early bird price of $130. Registration will increase to $145 on December 27, 2019. No refunds will be given after December 27, 2019. Additional banquet tickets can be purchased for $40 each. If you have questions, contact Tina Mittelsteadt at tinam@sunflowernsa.com or visit our website.

Holiday Break

This edition of Sunflower Highlights will be the last for 2019. We will return with the weekly newsletter on January 6, 2020. Happy holidays!

Seed Quality

High Plains	2019	2018
Oil Content	39.6%	40.2%
Foreign Material	7.1%	4.7%
Moisture	7.0%	8.7%
Test Weight	28.1 lbs	28.1 lbs
Northern Plains	2019	2018
Oil Content	42.4%	44.0%
Foreign Material	5.9%	3.5%
Moisture	11.6%	9.8%
Test Weight	29.0 lbs	30.6 lbs

Markets

Sunflower prices at the crush plants remain stronger than normal for this time of the year as a late harvest has oilseed crushers searching for seed supplies. In the past two weeks nearby prices have rallied with last week adding another 10 to 20 cents per cwt. 2020 new crop prices were unchanged after recently gaining 40 to 60 cents. Last week’s USDA December World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report was a non-event for the grain market. The agency’s December report left corn and soybean production data unchanged from its November estimates. This left traders with thoughts that any significant changes to production, stocks and usage will come in the January report. After more than a year of intense negotiations, the White House and Congressional Democrats reached an agreement on the USMCA trade agreement. Having a USMCA agreement in place is great news for sunflower products as oil, meal, in-shell seed and kernel will maintain duty free access to Canadian and Mexican markets. Canada is the largest export market for U.S. sunflower oil and sunflower kernel. Mexico is the second largest export market for U.S. sunflower oil, in-shell seed and kernel. USMCA is expected to be voted on in the House this week, and the earliest it would likely be brought up in Senate for consideration would be in January. Congressional approval of USMCA would return market certainty to these export markets for producers.