Berlin- Especially in Romania and Hungary, a significant increase in the production of sunflower seeds is expected compared to the previous year.

The expected declines in France’s and Germany’s sunflower seeds can thus be more than compensated. According to the latest estimates by the EU Commission, around 10.9 million tons of sunflower seeds are expected to be harvested in the EU-27 in 2023. This would not only be just under 18% more than in the previous year, but also a new record value. This expectation is based solely on increases in yield, because the EU’s cultivation area is expected to be around 7% smaller at 4.8 million hectares than in 2022.

Romania continues to expand its position as the largest EU producer. At 3.3 million t, the estimate is even 967,000 t or just under 42% higher than the previous year. According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), the decisive factors for the strong crop increase are in particular higher yields, because the cultivated area is likely to fall marginally to 1.3 million ha. There should also be a significant increase in harvests in other EU member states, including Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Slovakia.

In contrast, with 1.7 million tons, around 105,000t less sunflower seeds are expected in France than in 2022, also because the cultivation area is expected to be around 12% smaller. For Germany, the EU Commission predicts a significant drop in sunflower seed production by more than half. On a significantly reduced cultivation area with 32,000 ha, around 67,000 tons of sunflower seeds are expected to be produced. In the previous year, production in this country was expanded to a record area of about 86,000 ha as a result of the war against Ukraine; production was 159,000 t.

From the point of view of the Union for the promotion of oil and protein plants, courtesy of The Union for the Promotion of Oil ad Protein plants (UFOP), this reaction in cultivation behavior is comprehensible after the overheated development of producer prices last year has returned to normal levels and farmers have again increasingly relied on winter increases with expected higher contribution margins. The development also shows the importance of medium-term cultivation and supply contracts on the part of trader and processors if the market for sunflowers in Germany is to be permanently established at a higher level.

Short info UFOP e. V.:

The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) represents the political interests of the companies, associations and institutions involved in the production, processing and marketing of domestic oil and protein crops in national and international committees. UFOP promotes studies on the optimization of agricultural production and the development of new recycling possibilities in the areas of food, non-food and feed. The public relations work of the UFOP serves to promote the sale of the end products of domestic oil and protein crops.

Source: Agrar-presseportal.de