Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Sep 26 2016

Crop Progress

Sunflower harvest is half done in Texas. Producers there report 50 percent of the crop harvest, which is on track for the five year average of 52 percent. Sunflower crops are doing well in reporting states; 71 percent of North Dakota's sunflowers are reported in good to excellent condition, and 68 percent of Kansas are rated good to excellent.

Crop Progress - Monday, September 26, 2016

State	This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5 Year Average
North Dakota
Petals Dry	95	90	95	94
Bracts Yellow	83	74	85	76
Mature	53	32	58	43
South Dakota
Petals Dry	80	62	88	93
Bracts Yellow	51	29	62	75
Mature	15	---	16	---
Texas
Harvested	50	40	56	52
Kansas
Petals Dry	77	63	75	81
Bracts Yellow	55	36	33	59
Mature	23	12	---	---

Crop Conditions - Monday, September 26, 2016

State	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
North Dakota	1	5	23	65	6
South Dakota	1	5	35	56	3
Minnesota	2	3	37	49	9
Colorado	0	3	26	63	8
Kansas	1	3	28	63	5

Consider Cattail Control

Now is a good time to remove blackbird roosting locations such as marshes, sloughs, and cattails. Cattails serve as blackbird habitat so it's in the sunflower producer’s best interest to get rid of as much as possible. Click here for more information.

USDA Provides Help with Blackbirds

It’s fall, and as the temperatures drop, the blackbirds will start migrating and causing problems for sunflower growers. The USDA can help – click here for a map with phone numbers for USDA Wildlife Services personnel that can help North Dakota producers that have blackbird problems. For more on blackbird control, click here.

Markets

CBoT soyoil has been supported by higher palm oil prices. Palm oil values have increased due to stronger demand from key buyers such as India, Pakistan and China. Recent purchases coupled with reduced export supplies has narrowed the palm oil price discount to soyoil considerably. Fundamentally world export supplies of soyoil are tight and this is giving additional support to CBoT soyoil contracts. In contrast to the oil situation, meal stocks are ample and this is putting downward price on meal prices. Global soymeal demand so far has been disappointing. Traders are concerned the US soybean crush could slow due to slower than expected soymeal demand. This is allowing soyoil to gain on soymeal. This is positive news for sunflower prices when oil is the market leader. Harvest of the US sunflower crop has just gotten started. Initial yield reports are positive and quality is generally very good. Sunflower harvest started sooner this year as many acres were desiccated. Most of the US crop is rated in the good to excellent categories so yields and quality are expected to be above average. Depending on the size of 2016 crop, seed prices could drift lower as harvest deliveries arrive at plants and farmers pick up the selling pace in the next couple of months. After the initial harvest delivery period prices will follow demand news.