Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Feb 22 2021

SDSU Extension to host Virtual Crop Webinars

SDSU Extension will host a series of virtual Crop Hour webinars on March 2-5 from 10 to 11 a.m. CST. Topics will include weed control programs in sunflower, updating fertilizer recommendations, sunflower diseases 1.0, insect pests and pollinators. CCA credits will be available to attendees. There is no fee to attend but participants will need to register to receive Zoom links. For more information and to register go to: Crop Hour: Sunflower Webinars (sdstate.edu)

USDA to survey farmers’ planting intentions for 2021

As the 2021 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season. NASS will mail the survey questionnaire in February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2021, how many acres they intend the plant and the amounts of grain and oilseed stored on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond online or by mail. Those producers who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone or personal interview. Survey results will be published in the Prospective Plantings and quarterly Grain Stocks report to be released on March 31, 2021. These and all NASS reports are available online; visit www.nass.usda.gov/Publications to see the reports.

Upcoming North Dakota County Elections

Growers are invited to attend elections in their county for the sunflower representatives to the North Dakota Oilseed Council. Elections are being held in several areas this month. Here is a list by county:

Towner County: February 23, 10:00 a.m., Zoom Meeting
Rolette County: February 24, 9:00 a.m., Extension Office, Rolla
Kidder County: February 25, 1;00 p.m., Tappen Hall, Tappen
Stutsman County: February 25, 11:30 a.m., Extension Office, Jamestown

District elections will be held in March. For more information, visit www.oilseedcouncil.nd.gov

Markets

Old crop NuSun and high oleic prices were up 10 to 50 cents last week. New crop NuSun and high oleic prices were up 20 to 40 cents. The crop insurance price discovery process continues for 2021 crop insurance price elections. Oil type sunflowers are at $21.60 and confections are $26.80 per cwt., This is an increase of 20 cents for oils and 30 cents for confections from last week. Last year at this same time, oil type sunflowers were at $17.10 and confections were $22.90 per cwt. To follow sunflower price election trends, watch the 2021 CBoT December soyoil contract through February 26. Final price elections will be announced in early March. USDA updated its statistical guesses at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum last week. USDA pegged soybean acres at 90 million acres, up 6.9 million acres from 2020 planted acres, or about a 7.6% bump in acres. This was above the average trade guess of 89.4 million acres. USDA expects corn acres will uptick slightly to 92 million acres, up 1.2 million acres from last year, about a 1.3% increase in acreage. This was slightly below the average trade estimate of 92.9 million. Winter wheat acres will be 32 million, up 5% from 2020-21 and the first increase in winter wheat acres since 2013-14. Overall, total wheat acres are expected to reach 45 million acres, up about 651,000 acres from last year, but below the average trade guess of 45.4 million acres.

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