Old crop sunflower prices continue to trade in a narrow range. For the week old crop prices gained 10 to 15 cents while new crop was up 5 to 50 cents at the crush plants. Fresh market news has been limited and has CBoT traders looking at private estimates of the 2016 soybean crop. One private group estimates US 2016 soybeans planted acres near 85.2 million. USDA’s first guess for US 2016 acres and supply and demand will be at their Feb 26-27 conference in Washington, DC. Traders are also starting to pay attention to new weather forecasts for the US 2016 summer. Some feel the odds for drier and warmer summer weather could increase given above normal US Midwest Nov-Dec rains and the fact El Nino could shift to La Nina. This type of weather would not be conducive to above trend soybean yields. The market has not added any weather premium at this time but it warrants watching as we get closer to spring planting. U.S. export and domestic demand along with South American weather and crop progress will be the main traded features in the week ahead.