Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports drop to over three-year low in August

Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports fell to 150,000 tons in August, the lowest monthly volume in more than three years and the second-lowest in nearly 14 seasons, according to APK-Inform.

The decline was seen across all key destinations, with no shipments recorded to India. The slowdown was driven by seasonal factors, including reduced sunflower supply on the domestic market, as well as weaker demand from some importers awaiting cheaper oil from the new harvest.

In total, Ukraine exported 4.73 million tons of sunflower oil in the 2024/25 marketing year, down 24% year-on-year and the lowest level in three seasons.

The key factors limiting exports were a smaller sunflower harvest in 2024 and low processing margins.

The top three importers of Ukrainian sunflower oil were India (767,000 tons; +44% vs. 2023/24 MY), Spain (656,000 tons; +11%), and Italy (504,000 tons; +28%).