Argentina expands its role in the sunflower market, easing global price pressure

UkrAgroConsult

Toward the end of the year, Argentina significantly increased sunflower seed shipments, becoming an important factor in stabilizing the global market. In early December, the country exported two cargoes totaling around 50–60 thsd tons, destined for Portugal and South Africa. These shipments signaled Argentina’s return to more active participation in international trade.

Export activity is expected to intensify further in the coming weeks. Market sources indicate that an additional vessel carrying sunflower seed may be dispatched in late December or January toward the Black Sea region, although the final destination has not yet been confirmed.

Analysts note that the growing supply from South America is helping to ease tensions that emerged due to reduced sunflower production in the Northern Hemisphere. In the short to medium term, this development is likely to curb further price increases and could even lead to a moderate market correction.

Total sunflower seed exports from Argentina in the MY 2025/26 (October–September) are estimated at about 460 thsd tons, more than three times higher than the 133 thsd tons shipped in the previous season.

At the same time, Argentina is expanding its domestic processing capacity. In 2026, sunflower seed crushing is expected to reach a new record, supported by the launch of new facilities early in the year. For the 2025/26 season, sunflower seed processing is projected at around 5.4 mln tons, providing a basis for higher exports of sunflower oil and sunflower meal, estimated at approximately 1.83 mln tons and 1.75 mln tons respectively.

Tags: sunflower oil, prices, sunseed, Argentina