Ukraine starts 2024 sunflower seed harvest

Farmers in Ukraine's Odesa and Dnipro regions have started harvesting sunflowers earlier than usual due to abnormal July heat, potentially reducing late crop yields by 25% to 35%. Ukraine, a significant global producer of sunflower seeds and oil, harvested nearly 12 million metric tons of sunflower seeds in 2023. Additionally, farmers have harvested 3.5 million hectares of wheat, yielding 14.7 million tons, and 3.9 million tons of barley from 1 million hectares. The agriculture ministry forecasts a decrease in the 2024 wheat crop to 21 million tons from 22 million tons in 2023.

Some farmers in Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa and the central region of Dnipro have started harvesting the sunflower crop much earlier than usual, analyst ASAP Agri said. Last year the first report on sunflower seed harvesting was published in late August, the consultancy said on Thursday. Ukrainian producers, analysts and forecasters have said that anabnormal heat nationwide in July could cause a drop of 25% to 35% in the yield from late crops. Ukraine is a major global grower of sunseed and exporter of sunoil, harvesting almost 12 million metric tons of sunseed in 2023. The consultancy quoted the government harvest data as showing on Friday that Ukrainian farmers have also threshed 3.5 million hectares of wheat or 76% of the expected area and harvested 14.7 million tons of wheat. Farmers also harvested 3.9 ...