Argentina’s sunflower planting area to remain unchanged from last season — BAGE

Argentina’s sunflower planting area is forecast at 3.1 mln ha in MY 2026/27, unchanged from the previous season. According to the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (BAGE), no significant changes in sunflower acreage are expected. Meanwhile, the planting campaign is ongoing, with progress currently ahead of the five-year average.

As of October 21, Argentine farmers had planted 50.3% of the planned sunflower area, compared with 41.9% a week earlier. Planting progress therefore increased by 8.4 percentage points over the week. The current figure is also 1.4 percentage points above the five-year average, indicating generally favorable planting progress.

However, weather conditions remain mixed across Argentina’s agricultural regions. In southern growing areas, persistent rainfall and low temperatures are slowing fieldwork. Despite these delays, topsoil moisture levels generally remain favorable for seed germination and early crop development.

Conditions are different in central and northern regions. In particular, farmers in northeastern Argentina and north-central Santa Fe province report a need for additional rainfall. Further precipitation will be important to support sunflower growth and development. Weather conditions therefore remain one of the key factors influencing the prospects for the upcoming harvest.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintained a higher estimate for Argentina’s sunflower planting area in its October forecast, projecting 3.5 mln ha for MY 2026/27, up 9.6% from the previous season. According to USDA, sunflower production could reach a record 8 mln tons, compared with 7.61 mln tons in MY 2025/26.

Tags: sunseed, Argentina, sown area