Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Feb 08 2021

NDSU Sunflower Production Guide

The NDSU Extension Bulletin (A1995) has been updated and the Sunflower Prodcution Guide is now available. This NDSU publication has long been called the ‘sunflower bible’ since it was first published in 1975. The 178-page publication is full of four-color pictures of the major insects and diseases for ease in identification. The guide is directed primarily toward sunflower production in the Northern Great Plains of the United States; however, it is relevant to other production areas. The publication can be viewed on our website. Click here to view. NSA will provide one complimentary copy to sunflower growers. To obtain your complimentary copy email: info@sunflowernsa.com. Please include your name and complete mailing address. The Sunflower Production Guide is also available for sale from the NSA’s online catalog for $15 including shipping. Click here to order.

Nominations invited for NSA Gold Award

This is the last week to submit a nomination for the NSA Gold Award. Nominations must be received by February 12, 2021. Visit www.sunflowernsa.com/all-about/goldaward/ for the eligibility and criteria requirements. The NSA Board of Directors will review all submitted applications and choose a winner. The Gold Award will be presented during this year’s NSA Summer Seminar, set for June 22-24 in Duluth, MN.

Markets

We are in the price discovery process for 2021 crop insurance price elections. Currently, oil type sunflowers are at $21.20 and confections are $26.30 per cwt. Last year at this same time, oil type sunflowers were at $17.20 and confections were $23.00 per cwt. To follow sunflower price election trends, watch the 2021 CBoT December soyoil contract through February 28. Final price elections will be announced in early March. In the sunflower market, nearby old crop prices ended the week mixed at down 10 cents to unchanged. 2021 new crop prices for NuSun and high oleic sunflower were unchanged to up 10 cents. On the CBoT, traders are squaring positions ahead of the next World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report from USDA, out early this week. Some traders who had bet on rising prices are exiting the market selling their contracts and closing their positions after the recent climb in corn and bean prices. Favorable weather continues and harvest is underway in South America. Harvest is off to a slower than normal start in South America, but production prospects have improved. In Brazil, most analysts are still expecting a bin-busting soybean crop of around 4.850 billion bushels, even despite some delays prompted by uncooperative weather throughout the 2020/21 season. In the week ahead CBoT traders will be keeping close tabs on South American weather conditions and the latest USDA yield and production forecasts.

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