Low harvest supports sunseed prices in Hungary

Hungary's Ministry of Agricultural Policy has reported significant damage to the country's sunflower seed crop (SFS) in 2024 due to Autumn rainfall leading to waterlogged soil, affecting harvesting and field operations. The sunflower harvest came in at 1.7 million metric tons, which is 4.9% below the average of the past five years, with yields ranging from 1.8 to 2.9 metric tons per hectare. This variation in yields reflects the impact of weather conditions and the differing adaptation of cropping technologies across counties. Additionally, the average sunflower prices have surged by 40-43% compared to the previous year.

According to the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Hungary, the 2024 summer damaged SFS considerably. The rainfall in the autumn caused waterlogging of the soil, making harvesting and other field works more difficult. According to the National Chamber of Agriculture and Business, the sunflower harvest – 1.7 M mt (4.9% below the5 years average), yield – 2.5 mt/ha, area 680 K ha. Yields ranged from 1.8 to 2.9 mt/ha depending on the location of the area. This indicates a significant weather impact and different adaptation of cropping technologies in each county. Current average sunflower prices are 40-43% higher than last year. Full version of the article is available to subscribers of the Weekly ‘BLACK SEA & DANUBE OILSEED REPORT’ ...