Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Mar 28 2022

North Dakota Oilseed Council Election Results

North Dakota sunflower producers Josh Greff, Paul Boesl and Keith Meiers have been elected to the North Dakota Oilseed Council and the NSA Board of Directors. Greff from Regent, ND will serve his second three-year term, representing District 7, which includes the North Dakota counties of McKenzie, Dunn, Mercer, Oliver, Stark, Billings, Golden Valley, Slope, Hettinger, Bowman, Adams, Grant, Sioux, and Morton. Boesl from Langdon, ND will serve his first three-year term representing District 1, which includes the counties of Pembina, Cavalier, Ramsey, Walsh, Nelson, and Grand Forks. Meiers from Ross, ND will serve his first three-year term representing District 6, which includes the counties of Bottineau, Burke, Divide, Renville, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, Ward, and Williams.

N Calculator available for North Dakota producers

With fertilizer prices at the highest levels in the past seven years and producers looking to control costs, check out the North Dakota Nitrogen Calculator for sunflower. You can find the calculator at www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/soils/sunflower/. The calculator uses new nitrogen recommendations, which were updated for the first time since the 1970s. There are also new recommendations for phosphorus (P) for sunflower in the northern Great Plains. The new N and P recommendations are based on general productivity history and not a yield prediction model. N and P recommendations are based on both documented yield responses to each and economic analysis. The calculator does not immediately support sunflower prices above 30 cents per pound or N prices greater than $1/lb N. However, if you divide each value (sunflower price AND N cost) by 2, and insert these values into the calculator, the proper N recommendation will result. The NDSU Fertilizing Sunflower Circular SF713 with the new recommendations can be found online at www.sunflowernsa.com/uploads/3/Fertilizing.Sunflower.NDSU.SF713_Feb.2016.pdf

Markets

The Russia/Ukraine war continues to be the main market mover for most commodities. In a typical year, Ukraine, and Russia account for about 75 to 80 percent of global sunflower meal and sunflower oil trade. Ukraine’s exports are shut down and it is not known when trade might resume. As a result, buyers are scrambling to find alternative vegetable oils to replace Ukrainian sunflower oil. This will be a challenge in a market that has been facing tight supplies even before the events in Ukraine. Since February 24, nearby NuSun and High Oleic prices have moved 20% higher adding $4.60-$6.00 per cwt. and are trading in range of $37.40-$38.00 at the crush plants. Nearby prices are approaching the record high of $38.80 set in 2011. Since the Russian invasion new crop prices have increased 15% adding $4.20-$5.15 per cwt. Current new crop prices have passed the previous record high of $30.50 set in 2008 and are trading in a range of $31.75-$32.80 cash and $31.05-$32.90 for Act of God (AOG) contracts for 2022 production. Other than the situation in Ukraine the main market movers this week will be USDA planting intentions, and the quarterly stocks estimates. Market watchers will be anxious to see if the recent surge in new crop prices are encouraging U.S. farmers to increase sunflower acres in 2022 to help replace some of the oil output that will be lost from the Black Sea trade disruptions.

Sunflower Production Conference Video Link Available

If you missed the ‘2022 Getting-it-Right in Sunflower Production,’ video conference you can now access it on-line. Topics covered ranged from hybrid selection, what has been learned from the fall 2021 sunflower survey, plant nutrient and soil management, updates for weed, disease and insect management, and sunflower marketing. The program was conducted by North Dakota State University Extension. Recording and resources are available at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/getting-it-right, scroll to the conference video section and click the sunflower meeting link. Each individual talk has its own video clip. Additional publications and resources are available under the sunflower conference resources.

Confection processors looking to add 2022 acres

Recovering demand after Covid shutdowns has confection processors looking to add 2022 acres. Confection sunflowers have been one of the highest returns per acre options available for several years and have been setting new market highs following the current rally in grain prices. Processors are currently offering 2022 Act of God (AOG) production contracts starting at a minimum of $40.00 and upwards per cwt. The crop insurance price guarantee for this year is $40.50, the highest price since 2011. With current dry conditions across the main growing region, confections offer a good alternative for growers to consider based on lower moisture needs and input costs. If you have not looked into growing confection sunflowers for a few years, take another look and you’ll be surprised how this crop’s genetics have changed. Clearfield® and ExpressSun® confection hybrids are available. To talk to processors about contracting opportunities use this link: Buyers and Sellers (sunflowernsa.com)

Upcoming Events

June 28-30, 2022 - NSA Summer Seminar; Grand Forks, ND

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, March 28, 2022 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2022 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	52.96	73.71	72.45	-1.26	65.05
West Fargo, ND	NuSun	21.45	37.25	37.40	+.15	31.80
West Fargo, ND	High Oleic	22.40	37.75	37.90	+.15	32.80
Enderlin, ND	NuSun	21.60	37.50	37.50	NC	31.74
Enderlin, ND	High Oleic	22.35	38.00	38.00	NC	32.75
Lamar, CO	High Oleic	22.30	38.00	38.00	NC	32.90

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, March 28, 2022
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. location)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	64.96	81.71	80.45	-1.26
Cotton Oil (pbsy)	87.96	103.71	102.45	-1.26
Corn Oil	79.00	113.00	113.00	NC

Prices recorded here are believed to be reliable at the time of posting. All prices are subject to change. Contact these facilities for complete market details.

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