New food-grade sunflower crop puts pressure on prices in China while European prices rise

The global food-grade sunflower seed market is experiencing mixed price trends amid the arrival of the new crop and changing demand patterns. In Europe, prices for confectionery sunseed and sunflower kernels used in the food industry are rising, while increased new-crop supplies in China are putting pressure on lower-quality products. Meanwhile, high-quality seeds are maintaining relatively stable prices, and active buying by traders and processors continues to support market activity.

In Bulgaria, prices for hulled sunflower kernels used in the bakery industry have increased by €10–20 per ton over the past week and currently range from €930 to €1,020/t FCA. In Ukraine, similar products are offered at approximately €840/t FCA, while raw sunflower seeds for food use are quoted at €390/t. Black in-shell sunflower seeds in Bulgaria are trading at €470–510/t FCA. These price differences reflect variations in demand for specific product categories and their quality characteristics.

In China, large volumes of newly harvested sunflower seeds are entering the domestic market. In the main producing regions, including Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, seed grading and cleaning operations have already been completed. As a result, lower-quality products are coming under increasing price pressure, while prices for high-quality sunflower seeds remain relatively stable. Export offers for black in-shell sunflower seeds are currently around $1,750/t FOB Dalian, while hulled bakery kernels are quoted at $1,350/t and confectionery kernels at $1,180/t. Additional support for the Chinese market could come from demand in Middle Eastern countries.

In Ukraine, the sunflower harvest is nearing completion. As of November 9, 2026, farmers had harvested 10.71 mln tons of sunflower seeds from 4.8 mln hectares, representing approximately 92% of the planted area. Average yields reached 2.23 t/ha, compared with 1.88 t/ha at the same time last year. For comparison, sunflower production had reached 8.92 mln tons in early November 2025. Higher yields are supporting increased production volumes, although actual market supply will depend on the pace of farmer selling.

Meanwhile, in its November report, the USDA lowered its global sunflower seed production forecast for the 2026/27 season by approximately 0.7% compared with the previous estimate, to 63.16 mln tons. Despite the downward revision, the expected harvest remains a record and is 14.1% above the previous season’s level. Sunflower production is forecast at 13 mln tons in Ukraine, 9.73 mln tons in the EU, 20.4 mln tons in Russia and 3 mln tons in Kazakhstan. Growing global supplies are creating additional competitive pressure, but price developments in the food-grade sunflower segment will continue to depend on product quality, processor demand and international buying activity.

Tags: China, Bulgaria, sunflower, EU, sunseed, global market