Argentina is preparing for its largest sunseed harvest in nearly 30 years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has again raised its estimate for global sunflower seed production in the current marketing season to 54.1 million tonnes. This is not only 2.1 million tonnes higher than previously estimated but also significantly higher than last year’s level of 52.1 million tonnes.

The harvest in Argentina, in particular, is estimated to be approximately 1.5 million tonnes higher than expected in February, reaching 7.0 million tonnes. This will be the largest sunseed harvest in 28 years, primarily due to an expansion of planting area for the 2026 crop at the expense of a reduction in cotton acreage, particularly in northern Argentina. Harvest in the country is currently in full swing and is expected to continue until April. The current figures are encouraging, with yields increasing by 0.3 tonnes to 23.3 t/ha, in line with last year’s results.

The USDA also revised its harvest estimate for Ukraine. The harvest is expected to total 11.0 million tonnes, approximately 500,000 tonnes more than the February estimate. However, this is still the lowest figure in 12 years. Kazakhstan’s sunseed harvest forecast was raised by 64,000 tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes, approximately 700,000 tonnes more than the 2024/25 forecast.

Tags: Argentina, crop forecast, sunseed