U.S. sunflower acreage is reaching skyward this spring due to shaky Ukrainian sunflower supply and record high prices.
According to a recent USDA report, North Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, and Texas look to lead the way in acreage increase percentage. North and South Dakota top the list in terms of total acres.
Sunflowers have many commercial uses, including cooking oil, meal, and confectionary products. Without an increase in worldwide supply, restaurants, food makers, and consumers could be hit with another climbing cost in a time of already heavy inflation.
By the numbers:
- USDA estimates 1.4M acres of sunflower prospective plantings, up 10% from last year
- “I’m pretty confident it will be more like 20%.” – John Sandbakken, National Sunflower Association
- Cash price for new-crop sunflowers is near $34 per 100 pounds; the previous all-time high was $30.50 in 2008
- Ukraine makes up 47% of the world’s sunflower oil exports
Soundbite: “It’s something that’s going to affect the vegetable oil market all over the world. You’re displacing that much oil from the market that people need, so it’s something that will affect all oils … eventually, it will affect everybody in the world to some extent.” – John Sandbakken of the National Sunflower Association on the effects of Ukrainian supply.