German sunseed harvest to be below previous year’s figures

Due to a significant reduction in sunflower acreage, the German sunflower harvest is expected to be below the previous year’s figures. Higher yields can only help to mitigate the decline in production.

According to preliminary data from the German Federal Statistical Office, German farmers will harvest about 134,200 tons of sunflower seeds in 2024. This is 21 percent less than the previous year. The decline is mainly due to a 25 percent year-on-year reduction in production area to 51,400 hectares. According to the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH) survey, all German federal states recorded a decrease, with Hesse and Lower Saxony seeing the sharpest declines. Brandenburg remains Germany’s leading sunflower seed producer, with 16,500 hectares of sunflower, despite a 23 percent drop from the previous year.

The expected increase in yields did not fully compensate for the significant reduction in planted area. Yields were estimated at 26.1 decitonnes per hectare, almost 6 percent higher than the previous year. The main factors behind this increase were adequate rainfall and moderate summer temperatures, as well as relatively dry conditions at harvest time.

For many years, the sunflower area in Germany fluctuated between 20,000 and 22,000 hectares. However, after the conflict in Ukraine began, it increased to a record 86,000 hectares. From the perspective of the Union for Agriculture and Livestock Development (UFOP), the decline in sunflower area is understandable, as temporarily overheated producer prices have returned to normal levels and farmers are increasingly switching to winter crops with expected higher contribution margins. Nevertheless, this year’s levels reflect growing farmer interest in producing this summer’s crop. To stabilize this situation, traders and processors need to offer medium-term production and supply contracts. Strengthening advisory efforts and implementing demonstration projects can also help to promote this situation. According to the association, this is the only way to establish the German sunflower market at a permanently higher level.

Tags: sunseed, Germany