Sunflower harvest in 2018/19 increases 9%

The gross harvest of sunflower seeds in Ukraine in MY2018/19 is projected at 14.6 million tons. This volume exceeds the last year's result by 9% due to the growth of the areas under the oilseed crop (6.4 million hectares) and its productivity (2.3 tons/ha), APK-Inform reports.

Agrarians note that despite the drought, especially in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, the moisture content of the soil is now sufficient and the root system of plants is well-developed.

In Russia, the forecast for the production of sunflower seeds in MY2018/19 stands at a level of 10.5 million tons. The projected productivity of the crop has not changed —1.41 t/ha.

USDA analysts in the July report reduced the forecast of sunflower harvest in Ukraine by 2 million tons to 13.5 million tons, in the Russian Federation — by 1 million tons to 10.5 million tons.

Reference: the volume of global sunflower oil production over the last 10 seasons increased by more than 8 million tons