Larger sunflower seed harvest in the EU 

According to EU Commission estimates, EU sunflower seed production in 2023 amounted to just less than 10 million tonnes. This was just over 7 per cent more than in 2022,  but clearly below the 10.4 million tonne bumper harvest recorded in 2017. Although the area planted was reduced around 2.7 percent to 4.8 million hectares, yields were nearly 10 per cent higher than those recorded in 2022, reaching 20.7 decitonnes per hectare. Whereas dry spells and extreme heat had diminished the yield potential significantly the previous year, crop development in 2023 benefited from mild temperatures and rainfall in some regions. Romania remained by far the most important sunflower-producing region in the EU-27, the sunflower area hitting a new record at 1.2 million hectares. However, despite the significant expansion in area, yields fell around 12 per cent short of the previous year’s level, resulting in a marginally smaller Romanian harvest of 2.1 million tonnes compared to 2022.

The German sunflower area declined somewhat in 2023, while still being well above the level before the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) regards sunflowers as a regional crop alternative in order to expand crop rotations and minimise risks. The UFOP therefore recommends that farmers take sunflowers into account when planning their crop areas for the 2024 sowings. The annual variety trials that are funded by the UFOP and conducted in cooperation with the responsible regional authorities confirm the high yield potential of both conventional and high-oleic varieties, also in terms of oil content. The latest results are available for download from the UFOP website at https://www.ufop.de/medien/downloads/agrar-info/ufop-schriften/  (in German only).

Source

UFOP, Chart of the week 49 2023, press release, 2023-12-04. 

Supplier

European Commission
Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP)

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