U.S. sunflower acreage falls to new low following expansion of other oilseed crops

In marketing year 2024/25, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that U.S. farmers planted record-low sunflower acreage, nearly half of what was planted in the previous year. The largest decline in acreage occurred for the type of sunflower that is grown mainly to produce oil and is also used in bird food. On average, oil-type sunflower acreage accounts for nearly 90 percent of total sunflower acreage, whereas in 2024/25 it is forecast to account for 83 percent. Most of the decline in acreage occurred in the top two producing States, North Dakota and South Dakota. This decline is attributed to lower profitability compared with other oilseed crops, such as canola and soybeans. Sunflower stocks at the end of 2023/24 were the highest since 2016/17, contributing to the lowest average farm price since 2019/20. In addition, expansion in canola and soybean processing facilities in North Dakota created new domestic demand for those oilseeds, supporting expansion in acreage of canola and soybeans at the loss of sunflower acres. While the planted acreage is at a record low, yields in 2024/25 are forecast at a record high because of peak growing conditions in the Dakotas. Still, total sunflower production in 2024/25 is forecast at 1.3 billion pounds, the lowest since 1976/77. This chart is drawn from USDA, Economic Research Service’s Oil Crops Outlook, October 2024.