Nearby sunflower prices for the week ended down 10 cents to unchanged. New crop prices for sunflowers were down 20 cents to up 10 cents. On February 2, the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) will begin the discovery process in determining 2026 crop insurance price elections for sunflowers. Producers have the option of choosing Yield Protection, Revenue Protection, and Revenue Protection with the Harvest Price Exclusion. All three policies have the same price election. To follow the direction for sunflower price elections, watch the 2026 CBoT December soyoil contract during the month of February. Last year the projected price for oil sunflower was $24.00 with confections at $32.20. Using the same oil versus confection price differential and based on the current CBoT December contract price the projected price for oil sunflower would be about $28.00 with confections at $36.20. Final price elections will be announced in early March. Harvest is underway in South America. This will have the trade keeping close tabs on weather conditions, yield, and production forecasts. 2025/26 soybean production in Brazil has most analysts still expecting a bin-busting soybean crop of around 178-182 million metric tons (MMT). That compares with soybean production of 170.5 MMT last year. Argentina is expected to produce 48-49 MMT of soybeans, which is a slight decrease from the previous year.
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 $22.60 cash and $22.10 AOG. Cargill is at $22.50 cash and $22.00 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 $22.00-$22.10 contract increases to a range of $24.20-$24.30 and the cash $22.50-$22.60 contract moves up to $24.75-$24.85.
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