At the crush plants nearby prices were down 50 cents to unchanged. 2026 new crop contracts were down 20 cents to unchanged. Last week USDA released its latest grain stocks report. USDA pegged old crop sunflower stocks in all positions on September 1, 2025, at 209 million pounds, down 63 percent from a year ago. All stocks stored on farms totaled 21.2 million pounds and off-farm stocks totaled 187.8 million pounds. Stocks of oil type sunflower seed are 170.6 million pounds; of this total, 15.4 million pounds are on-farm stocks, and 155.2 million pounds are off-farm stocks. Non-oil sunflower stocks totaled 38.4 million pounds, with 5.9 million pounds stored on the farm and 32.5 million pounds stored off the farm. Stocks of oil type sunflower seed were 66 percent lower than last year. Non-oil stocks were down 44 percent from last year. Both figures were within average industry estimates. The most interesting item in the report was a change to the March 1 off farm stocks figure for oil-type seed. USDA “found” an additional 75 million pounds since the report was released. This helps explain the increased crush and birdfood usage when most thought the bins were almost empty. Lastly, the first USDA estimate of 2025 US harvested sunflower acres and total seed production will likely be delayed due to the government shutdown.
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 is at $22.80 cash and $22.30 AOG. Cargill is at $22.70 cash and $22.20 AOG. Colorado Mills is at $23.00 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 $22.20-$22.30 contract increases to a range of $24.45-$24.55, and the cash $22.70-$23.00 contract moves up to $25.00-$25.30.
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