Sunflower Harvest in Ukraine in 2025 May Be the Lowest in a Decade

In Ukraine, a significant reduction in sunflower harvest is forecasted for the 2025/26 season. According to updated estimates, the production of this oilseed crop may reach only 11.4 million tons, which is lower than the previous forecast of 12 million tons and will be the lowest figure in the last ten years.

This is reported by AgroReview

Key Reasons for Yield Decline

The situation in the sunflower market is largely due to unfavorable weather conditions, particularly a prolonged summer drought in the leading production regions. By the beginning of October 2025, domestic farmers had already harvested 59% of the sown areas – about 3.02 million hectares, resulting in 5.54 million tons of seeds. However, the average yield currently stands at only 1.83 tons per hectare, which significantly falls short of the potential capabilities of this crop.

“The main production regions – Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv regions – have been severely affected by the prolonged summer drought, with yields ranging from 0.5 to 1.6 tons per hectare. In the central and northern regions – Vinnytsia, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv – the figures are higher, but the rains at the end of September and in October may cause further delays in harvesting and partial crop losses,” said Kristina Serebryakova, CEO of ASAP Agri.

Updated Forecasts and Market Impact

According to the expert, the forecasted sunflower harvest for 2024 has also been adjusted – from 12.9 million to 12.4 million tons, mainly due to the clarification of sown areas. In comparison, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates sunflower production in Ukraine for the 2024/25 marketing year at 13 million tons, and for 2025/26 at 12.7 million tons. Such discrepancies in calculations indicate the likelihood of further reductions in official forecasts in future WASDE reports.