Sunflower Highlights
Post Date: Jul 15 2024
Crop Progress - Monday, July 15, 2024
State This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Year Average
North Dakota        
Blooming 2 2 1 3
South Dakota        
Emerged 97 87 92 --
Kansas        
Planted 96 90 92 94
Texas        
Harvested 12 9 16 13
Crop Conditions - Monday, July 15, 2024
State Timeframe Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent
North Dakota This week 1 2 25 70 2
  Last week 1 3 21 73 2
Minnesota This week 0 1 24 64 11
  Last week 0 2 21 75 2
Colorado This week 0 20 46 31 3
  Last week 1 11 54 31 3
South Dakota This week 1 2 28 58 11
  Last week 0 0 22 69 9
Scout for moths and red sunflower seed weevil
As sunflower fields begin to bloom, adults of red sunflower seed weevil (RSSW) will be emerging and will fly to the nearest flowering sunflowers. RSSW are small (2.5 to 3.1 mm long) with a snout and are reddish orange. It’s also time to scout for banded sunflower moth (BSM), Arthuri sunflower moth (ASM) and sunflower head moth (SHM). Once the decision to treat has been made, it is critical to time the spray application correctly to get effective management of all sunflower head insects, including RSSW, BSM, ASM, SHM and Lygus bug. The best sunflower plant stage to treat is when most plants are in the R5.1 growth stage. Visit www.sunflowernsa.com/growers/Insects/  to read more about scouting for insects and the best treatments. To see the insecticides registered in sunflower, visit https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/north-dakota-field-crop-insect-management-guide
Markets
Old crop sunflower prices were unchanged to up 60 cents and new crop sunflower prices at the crush plants held firm after the release of the most recent USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report last week. USDA pegged soybean acres at 86.1 million in 2024, resulting in a 4.435-billion-bushel crop. Production is down 15 million bushels from last month's forecast. USDA lowered its ending stocks forecast for the 2024-25, new crop marketing year by 20 million bushels as well, to 435 million bushels. USDA lowered its beginning stocks estimate by 5 million bushels but left forecasts for crush, export, seed, and residual use unchanged from last month. Globally, USDA made minor revisions to ending soybean stocks estimates for both new and old crop marketing years. In the 2023-24 marketing year, which includes the recently concluded South American harvest, USDA lowered Argentina's production to 49.5 million metric tons (MMT) but left Brazil unchanged at 153 MMT. Overall, the trade viewed the USDA figures as neutral to the market. Currently weather conditions are mostly favorable for sunflower development in Colorado, the Dakotas and Minnesota. However, warmer than normal temperatures would be welcomed in the Dakotas and Minnesota to improve crop conditions as we enter the bloom stage of crop development. Mid-August through September is the critical time frame for sunflowers.
Grower report
Hutchinson, KS grower Cameron Peirce says his area has been dry and hot. The past week has been in the 90’s with no rain and several days with high humidity. His sunflowers are not good. They need rain.
Consider cattail control
July to mid-August is a good time to remove blackbird roosting locations, such as marshes sloughs and cattails. Cattails serve as blackbird habitat, so it is in the sunflower producer’s best interest to cut them down or spray herbicides to get rid of them as much as possible. Visit
https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/north-dakota-weed-control-guide for more information on using herbicides.
Have Seeds for Sale?
Do you still have seed in the bin from your 2023 crop or have non-contracted 2024 production to sell? If you are looking for buyers to sell your seeds too visit the NSA website to find oilseed crushers, confection seed processors and bird food buyers using these links:
Upcoming Events
August 8, 2024 - NSA High Plains Committee Meeting; Goodland, KS
January 8-9, 2025 - NSA Research Forum; Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND
Markets at a Glance
Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, July 15, 2024 ($/CWT)
  Deliver Last Year Last Week This Week Change 2024 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil Nearby 64.76 49.00 46.42 -2.58 44.64
West Fargo, ND NuSun 19.25 17.00 17.00 NC NQ
West Fargo, ND High Oleic 19.75 17.25 17.25 NC 18.25
Enderlin, ND NuSun 19.10 16.30 16.30 NC NQ
Enderlin, ND High Oleic 19.60 16.90 16.90 NC 18.00
Lamar, CO High Oleic 20.25 16.90 17.50 +.60 20.00
U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, July 15, 2024
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. locations)
  Last Year Last Week This Week Change
Soybean Oil 71.76 52.09 49.42 -2.67
Cotton Oil (pbsy) 99.76 74.09 71.42 -2.67
Corn Oil 70.00 52.00 52.00 NC

Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. Individual companies have the right to correct any errors that may occur. Contact these facilities for complete market details.
 
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