Ukraine to reduce sunflower oil production by 10% in MY 2025/26

In the MY 2025/2026, sunflower oil production in Ukraine is expected to decline to 4.6 million tonnes, down 10% compared to the previous season. This was reported by the industry association “Ukroliyaprom”.

According to the latest forecasts, the sector anticipates a noticeable drop in key indicators compared to last year:

• Sunflower oil production: около 4.6 million tonnes (down 10%)
• Sunflower oil exports: 4.4 million tonnes (down 6.4%)
• Yields: decreased by 16.8%, the lowest level in the past 10 years
• Harvested area: reduced by 7.8%

Prices support revenues

At the same time, according to the National Scientific Centre “Institute of Agrarian Economics,” sunflower seeds production profitability reached 54.7% in 2025, one of the highest among crops.

Despite the physical decline in production volumes, farmers do not expect revenue losses. On the contrary, there is a trend toward higher foreign currency earnings, driven by a sharp increase in global sunflower oil prices, which fully offsets the quantitative shortfall.

Analysts also highlight a gradual transformation of the sector. In particular, the current marketing year has seen increased domestic processing of rapeseed and soybeans, alongside a reduction in exports of these raw materials.

This approach helps partially compensate for the sunflower deficit and ensures better utilization of processing capacities. It also signals a shift from raw material exports toward higher value-added products, according to the association.

Tags: Ukraine, sunflower oil