Nearby prices were mixed this week down 75 cents to unchanged. New crop was down 60 cents to unchanged. New crop prices are trading in a range of $20.85-$22.55 cash with AOG at $20.85-$22.90 at the crush plants. Something else to consider when looking at new crop prices are the oil premiums that crush plants pay on sunflowers. 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 $20.85 contract increases to $22.95, and the cash $22.55 contract moves up to $24.80. Sunflower planting continues in all states and is ahead of last year and equal to or ahead of the five-year averages in Colorado, Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Kansas is slightly behind last year at this same time and the five-year average planting pace. In the past week, producers made excellent progress and planted an additional 312,200 acres pushing 2023 planted acres to about 393,600 acres. This represents 30% of this year’s projected planted acres and is slightly ahead of the five-year average of 25%. Last year at this same time only 19% of total projected acres were planted. Sunflower planting should pick up speed in next couple weeks as growers across the U.S. finish sowing activities.

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