Despite rising costs, sunseed production profitability in Ukraine may reach 44%

Sunseed production profitability in Ukraine is expected to reach 42–44% in 2026, despite a 15–20% increase in production costs. This was reported by Dmytro Liudvenko, a leading researcher at the Department of Agricultural Production Economics of the National Scientific Centre “Institute of Agrarian Economics”.

According to him, the sunseed market price trend remained relatively stable throughout 2025–2026, with prices increasing by just 3.6%. At the same time, farmers’ costs rose by an average of 15–20%, but sunflower remains one of the most profitable crops in Ukraine’s crop production sector.

As of October 26, sunseed had been harvested on approximately 4.45 mln ha in Ukraine, or 85% of the sown area. More than 9.8 mln tons of seeds had been collected, with average yields exceeding 2.2 tons/ha. According to the Institute of Agrarian Economics, this year’s sunseed production is forecast at 11.9 mln tons, up 16.5% from last year, while the average yield is expected to reach 2.28 tons/ha.

The largest sunseed volumes were harvested in Dnipropetrovsk region at 1.17 mln tons, Poltava region at 1.10 mln tons, Kirovohrad region at 1.05 mln tons and Vinnytsia region at 990 thsd tons. The highest yields were recorded in Khmelnytskyi region at 3.6 tons/ha and Ternopil region at 3.59 tons/ha. Scientists attribute the strong results in some regions, among other factors, to the use of drought-resistant hybrids and moisture-conservation technologies.

The Institute of Agrarian Economics notes that sunflower remains an important part of Ukraine’s vegetable oil sector due to stable demand and quick sales. Scientists recommend keeping sunflower in crop rotations in 2027, while focusing not on expanding planted areas but on improving production efficiency, selecting suitable hybrids and maintaining proper crop rotation.

Tags: sunseed, margin, Ukraine