Do you still have seed in the bin from your 2025 crop or have non-contracted 2026 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:

Oilseed crushers: https://www.sunflowernsa.com/buyers/?detail=oilseedcrushers

Confection processors: https://www.sunflowernsa.com/buyers/?detail=confectionprocessors

Bird food buyers: https://www.sunflowernsa.com/buyers/?detail=birdfood

Nearby prices were unchanged to up 25 cents with new crop unchanged to up 10 cents at the crush plants this week. 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. The AOG $23.10 contract increases to $25.40 and the cash $25.00 contract moves up to $27.50. On Tuesday, USDA will release its latest planted acres report. In the March intentions report producers indicated they planned to increase oil acres by 9% with confection acres down 8% from last year. Traders are anxious to confirm if this change in acres occurred or is higher than USDA estimates. If the March numbers come about U.S. sunflower production is forecast to be 2.4 billion pounds, which would represent an increase of 4% from last year. The higher production is based on an increase in planted area from 1.29 to 1.39 million acres and trend yields for oil type and confection sunflowers. Oil type sunflower production is projected to increase to 2.2 billion pounds, up 4% from MY 2025/26. USDA’s acreage report will be the main driver in the market following its release.

Exports of kernel are down 31% from a year ago, from 2,164 metric tons (MT) to 1,491 MT from October 2025 to April 2026. Canada remains the top importer of U.S. sunflower kernel, importing 910 MT. In-shell exports decreased 16% from 3,041 MT to 2,540 MT from October 2025 to April 2026. Mexico remains the top importer of in-shell sunflower, importing 1,786 MT with Greece the second largest importer at 636 MT during the period. Sunflower oil exports are down 7% from a year ago, from 16,345 MT to 9,433 MT from October 2025 to April 2026. Canada remains the top importer, importing 6,555 MT, down 29% from a year ago. Mexico is the number two destination importing 1,475 MT during the period.

Cameron Peirce, producer from Hutchinson, KS says they had a mild winter. Right after planting they received 3’ of rain, so they had to replant. Then they received 2” of rain so he is not sure if his sunflowers will come up. He does think sunflower is up in his area.

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.

January 13-14, 2027 - NSA Research Forum; Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND 

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