Nearby sunflower prices at the crush plants were down 10 cents to unchanged this week. 2026 new crop contracts were unchanged. The crop insurance price discovery process continues for 2026 crop insurance price elections. Oil type sunflowers are $29.00, and confections are $37.10 per cwt. Oils are up 30 cents with confections up 40 cents from last week. To follow sunflower price election trends, watch the 2026 CBoT December soyoil contract through February 27. Final price elections will be announced in early March. Traders are anxiously awaiting USDA’s release of its Prospective Plantings Report on March 31. According to a recent CoBank report, soybeans are currently expected to increase their share of planted acres in 2026 while planted acreage of corn, and spring wheat are expected to decline compared to last year. CoBank’s analysis indicates U.S. soybean acreage will increase 5.9% over last year to reach 86 million acres. Total U.S. corn acreage was projected at 94 million, down 4.8% from last year. Spring wheat acres are expected to fall 1% to 9.89 million acres due to profit potential compared to corn. Most market watchers expect sunflower acres to increase in 2026 given the pace of planting seed sales and current demand. The first estimate of 2026 sunflower acres will be in the USDA March Planting Intentions report.
ADM Enderlin, Cargill West Fargo and Colorado Mills crush plants are offering 2026 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) High Oleic contracts. ADM and Cargill are at $22.60 cash and $22.10 AOG. Colorado Mills is at $22.75 AOG. Something else to consider is the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflowers. Sunflower is the only oilseed that pays premiums for oil content above 40%. Considering oil premiums that are offered at the crush plants on oil content above 40% at a rate of 2% price premium for each 1% of oil above 40%; this pushes a contract with 45% oil content gross return 10% higher per cwt. The AOG $22.10 contract increases to $24.30 and the cash $22.60 contract moves up to $24.85.
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