The interest in oilseeds growing has strengthened considerably over the last decade. As a result, plantings for MY 2016/2017 expanded to 8.9 million ha against 6.3 million ha in MY 2007/2008. As sunseed is the most remunerable oilseed, sunflower accounts for 65-70% of planted acreage, and its share will reach 71% in the current marketing year.
Over the last years, up till MY 2015/2016, rapeseed planted areas shrank in favor of soybeans. Then, in MY 2016/2017, farmers reduced soybean plantings – this allowed them to increase sunflower acreage to a record 6.3 million ha.
According to Svetlana Kupreeva, analyst at UkrAgroConsult, oilseed sowings will further expand next season. This will happen primarily due to an increase in rape sown acreage and good condition of rape plants when entering the winter. Sunflower crops will partially depend on winter survival by rape, but they will anyway stay at a high level. (UkrAgroConsult/Business World Magazine)
