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Sunflower seeds: “Farmers will hold back their goods”

December 30, 2024 at 11:00 AM , Der AUDITOR
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SEEHEIM/SOFIA. The year 2024 had a lot to offer: new regulations and record prices were the order of the day in many markets, and climatic extremes were noticeable in many areas. Our business partner from the sunflower seed market explains how market players have been facing these hurdles and what they expect for the coming year 2025. Read the full interview here.

Which were the main difficulties faced by the sunflower seed market in 2024? What has changed compared to the last two years?

The bad crop in terms of quality and quantity within the EU and Ukraine.

With several global political tensions, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the import tariffs on Russian agricultural commodities for shipments to Europe significantly increasing, will this also have an impact on the sunflower seed market?

Yes.

In 2024, climate change and its impact on global commodity production was once again a major issue. How should growers and market players act to be prepared for the coming years?

Companies should be aware that extreme weather conditions will occur more frequently and intensively than before. This leads to more instability.

Once again commodity prices have risen significantly in many markets, some being at all- time highs or close to. Inflation and higher production costs are leaving their mark; the sunflower seed market is no exception here. Do you think consumers will look for cheaper alternatives in the long run?

I think that these factors are not only affecting the sunflower market, so alternatives are also affected by the same issues.

Looking at the current market situation, what challenges might the sunflower seed market face in the 2025/2026 season?

The farmers are used to higher prices from the current season, so they will hold back their goods. On the other hand, there might be more sunflowers grown due to the attractive price right now. I guess that it will take a while until buyers’ and sellers’ prices match.

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