Sunflower Highlights

Post Date: Sep 23 2024

Crop Progress - Monday, September 23, 2024

State	This Week	Last Week	Last Year	5 Year Average
North Dakota
Petals Dry	91	82	92	92
Bracts Yellow	70	56	75	76
Mature	31	21	38	38
South Dakota
Petals Dry	79	64	89	--
Bracts Yellow	47	31	65	--
Mature	24	9	16	--
Texas
Harvested	80	75	68	67
Kansas
Harvested	2	--	8	2

Crop Conditions - Monday, September 23, 2024

State	Timeframe	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
North Dakota	This week	2	4	26	66	2
	Last week	1	4	29	62	4
Minnesota	This week	0	1	24	62	13
	Last week	0	1	20	62	17
Colorado	This week	12	17	43	27	1
	Last week	14	17	39	28	2
South Dakota	This week	6	7	23	58	6
	Last week	7	7	31	50	5

Deadline approaching for research grant applications

Research is an important part of the NSA’s mission. Each year, the NSA provides grants to public researchers to stimulate new or additional work that may result in lower production costs, increased quality, and higher yields. Pre-proposals for projects to be considered for funding in 2025 are now being accepted. Visit 2025 NSA Research Priorities (sunflowernsa.com) to read more and to submit pre-proposals. Grant applications are due by October 1, 2024.

Markets

Last week ADM Enderlin rolled out its 2025 new crop High Oleic contracts at $21.00 cash and $20.50 AOG. Something else to consider is the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflowers. 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 $20.50 contract increases to $22.55, and the cash $21.00 contract moves up to $23.10. The market continues to watch developments in the Black Sea region as drought conditions have reduced sunflower production considerably. Oil World recently lowered its production estimates for Russia to 17.1 million metric tons (MMT) and Ukraine to 13.0 MMT. This is a significant drop off from last year’s production of 18.4 MMT in Russia and 14.9 in Ukraine. Some market estimates for Ukrainian production are as low as 12.5 MMT. Oil World also made sizable downward revisions to production prospects in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Trading in the week ahead will focus on the USDA Grain Stocks report that will be released next week. Traders are expecting sunflower seed stocks to be down from a year ago and the five-year average after last year’s smaller crop. Up next for traders will be when USDA gives its first estimate of 2024 sunflower production in October.

New State Director Wildlife Services Program

Carl Frey has accepted the State Director position for the Wildlife Services Program in North and South Dakota and is stationed in Bismarck, ND. He replaces John Paulson who retired last year. Carl received his B.A. in Natural Resources with a Fish and Wildlife emphasis from Northland College in Northern Wisconsin in 2004. He is originally from SW Michigan. Frey has held several positions in various capacities within the agency.

USDA Provides Help with Blackbirds

Now is a good time to remove blackbird roosting locations, such as cattails. Cattails serve as blackbird habitat, so it is in the sunflower producer’s best interest to get rid of as much as possible. The USDA can help with blackbird control. Visit: NORTH DAKOTA (sunflowernsa.com) for a map with phone numbers for USDA Wildlife Services personnel that can help North and South Dakota producers who have blackbird problems. They will respond to you during the damage season by providing loaner cannons and pyrotechnics. These offices will provide further assistance in an attempt to break up large roosts. Using a combination of cattail management, cannons, harassment, desiccants, and repellants can be even more effective when used together. For more information on blackbird control, visit Blackbirds (sunflowernsa.com)

Upcoming Events

January 8-9, 2025 - NSA Research Forum; Holiday Inn; Fargo, ND
June 24-26, 2025 - NSA Summer Seminar; Bismarck, ND

Markets at a Glance

Weekly Prices Recorded on Monday, September 23, 2024 ($/CWT)

	Deliver	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change	2025 NEW Crop
Chicago Oil	Nearby	58.75	39.75	42.62	+2.87	41.84
West Fargo, ND	NuSun	NQ	17.75	NQ	--	NQ
West Fargo, ND	High Oleic	17.25	18.25	18.25	NC	21.00
Enderlin, ND	NuSun	NQ	NQ	NQ	NC	NQ
Enderlin, ND	High Oleic	NQ	18.00	18.00	NC	21.00
Lamar, CO	High Oleic	18.50	19.50	19.50	NC	NQ

U.S. CRUDE OIL VALUES recorded on Monday, September 23, 2024
(dollars per 100 lb. internal U.S. locations)

	Last Year	Last Week	This Week	Change
Soybean Oil	64.25	40.25	43.12	+2.87
Cotton Oil (pbsy)	93.75	64.75	67.62	+2.87
Corn Oil	75.00	45.00	45.00	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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