Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Nov 16 2020

Crop progress

Harvest is well ahead of last year in the Dakotas; North Dakota's sunflower harvest is 93% finished, compared to just 33% a year ago.

Crop Progress - Monday, November 16, 2020

State	This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5 Year Average
North Dakota
Harvested	93	85	33	73
South Dakota
Harvested	81	74	48	75
Minnesota
Harvested	100	100	69	95
Colorado
Harvested	99	94	90	83
Kansas
Harvested	91	79	89	80
Texas
Harvested	92	88	86	86

Seed Quality

High Plains	2020	2019
Oil Content	40.2%	39.6%
Foreign Material	5.8%	7.1%
Moisture	8.0%	6.7%
Test Weight	29.4 lbs	28.3 lbs
Northern Plains	2020	2019
Oil Content	43.7%	42.6%
Foreign Material	3.5%	6.1%
Moisture	9.7%	11.7%
Test Weight	30.1 lbs	31.5 lbs

Grower report

Lindsborg, KS grower Karl Esping is about two-thirds done with his sunflower harvest. He says despite a very dry August, his 400 acres of high oleic sunflowers look pretty good. Esping says the area has been hit with some strong winds lately, but his sunflowers are still standing.

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Markets

Nearby NuSun and high oleic prices at the crush plants were up 15 to 45 cents following the rally in the soy complex on the Chicago Board of Trade. Overall, NuSun and high oleic prices continue to trade 60 cents to $1.06 per cwt. higher than the 60 day moving average at the crush plants. 2021 new crop was up an additional 15 to 30 cents this week. 2021 new crop sunflower prices are out at the ADM Goodland with Act of God (AOG) contracts available. AOG NuSun is at $18,65 with High Oleic prices at $19.65 per cwt. Something else to consider is the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflower. Sunflower is the only oilseed that pays premiums for oil content above 40%. Considering oil premiums that 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%; this pushes a contract with 45% oil content gross return 10% higher per cwt. Very favorable weather conditions in the past week allowed sunflower producers to make good harvest progress. Harvest progress advanced 7% to 89% complete for the week ending November 15. Harvest progress remains 14% ahead of the five-year average. In the past week, producers harvested an additional 110,000 acres pushing 2020 harvested acres to about 1,361,000 acres. Harvest progress remains about one week to ten days ahead of the five year average.