Last week Colorado Mills in Lamar, Colorado rolled out its 2025 new crop High Oleic Act of God contracts at $21.00. At the crush plants the October and November contracts were unchanged to up 20 cents this week. Sunflower harvest has started in the Dakotas and Minnesota. In Texas, harvest continues to move along ahead of the five-year average. Traders are eagerly awaiting to see USDA’s first estimate of 2024 US harvested sunflower acres and total seed production that will be released next week. Last week USDA pegged old crop sunflower stocks in all positions on at 575.3 million pounds, up 57 percent from a year ago. Stocks of oil type sunflower seed were 49 percent higher than last year. This will give the market some cushion to begin the marketing year. However, traders are expecting to see much lower seed production based on reduced harvested acres this year. This report along with actual harvest reports will set the tone for nearby sunflower price direction in the near term. The market will also be keeping tabs on the latest geopolitical conflicts in both the Middle East and Black Sea region. Events taking place could cause energy and grain prices to move higher.

Crush plants are offering 2025 new crop cash and Act of God (AOG) High Oleic contracts at $21.00 cash and $20.50 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 $20.50 contract increases to $22.55, and the cash $21.00 contract moves up to $23.10. 

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