Sunflower sowing in Argentina is well ahead of the average annual rate

According to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (BAGE), as of October 28, 58.7% of the planned area was sown with sunflower in Argentina (50.3% last week), which is 7.5% higher than the 5-year average.

 

76.2% of crops have optimal or good moisture, but in the southern regions, due to excessive moisture, sowing rates are 15-20% lower than the 5-year average. Low temperatures are delaying the development of crops, some of which have also been damaged by birds.

 

According to BAGE, in the 2026/27 MY, sunflower sowing areas will be 3.1 million hectares, which will correspond to the level of last year, while the USDA estimates them at 3.5 million hectares, and production at 8 million tons (compared to 7.61 million tons in the 2025/26 MY).

 

High sowing rates create the prerequisites for a good harvest. If production reaches 8 million tons, this will sharply increase the supply of sunflower on the world market and increase competition with Ukrainian and Russian sunflower oil and meal in 2027.

 

Therefore, traders will now closely monitor the progress of the sowing and the weather during the growing season, as the prospects for the new sunflower harvest will depend on this.