Sunflower Seed Prices Plummet in Ukraine Amid Global Supply Surge
Sunflower seed prices in Ukraine continue to decline due to weaker vegetable oil prices and rising global sunflower seed supply. The purchase price fell by another UAH 500/t over the week, reaching UAH 17.5-19 thsd/t including VAT, or around $345-370/t excluding VAT.
The market remains under pressure from logistics costs to the EU, which are currently around $160-200/t for sunflower oil. Crushers located near Ukraine's western border offer the highest sunflower seed prices due to faster and cheaper access to European markets.
As of September 22, Ukraine had harvested 1.5 mln tons of sunflower seed from 756 thsd ha, or 14.5% of the planted area, with an average yield of 1.98 t/ha. Export bid prices for sunflower seed delivered to Bulgaria remain at $550-560/t, although shipments are constrained by licensing requirements and minimum export prices.