US increases sunflower cultivation due to supply disruptions
US increases sunflower cultivation due to supply disruptions –
US farmers plan to dramatically increase sunflower yields this year due to supply disruptions amid the conflict in Ukraine.
A jump in agricultural prices to record levels for many years could increase motivation among farmers to grow more at the same time, said John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association. The USDA is tentatively forecasting a 10% increase in sunflower acreage this year.
“I’m sure the increase will be bigger, about 20%,” Sandbakken said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Sunflower is used in a wide variety of products, from potato chips and sunflower oil for frying to bird food and shampoo. However, this year there may be a shortage of this commodity, as Ukrainian farmers are forced to reduce acreage and exports due to hostilities in the country. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest sunflower exporters.
Meanwhile, last year’s devastating drought in the northern U.S. Great Plains is playing into the hands of American farmers this year, leaving excess nitrogen in the ground, reducing fertilizer costs, Bloomberg notes.
