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Production History
Production Practices
Processing
Trade
Consumption
Cultivated sunflowers are one of the world's top
five oilseed crops. Sunflower production was 6-9
percent of world oilseed output between marketing years
1998/99 and 2007/08. Sunflowerseed oil, the principal
product of sunflowerseed processing, accounted for 5-11
percent of world vegetable oil trade between 1998/99 and
2007/08.
In 2007/08 (September-August), sunflower production in
the United States had a farm-gate value of $615 million
and was concentrated in the northern Midwest. About
a quarter of sunflowerseed is used in birdseed and another
10-20 percent is sold directly for snacks and baking products. The
remaining seed is crushed into oil and meal. Historically,
seed was produced for export to Europe, but today only
a small amount is exported; instead, today's sunflower
crop is almost entirely consumed domestically.
Production History
Sunflower oil is widely used in parts of Russia, Europe,
and the Middle East, and it is likely that U.S. production
began with immigrant groups from these regions. With
the introduction of high-oil-yielding Soviet cultivators
in the late 1960s and the development of U.S. oilseed crushing
capacity, sunflower production increased to over 200,000
acres by 1970. Acreage continued to rise throughout
the 1970s, fueled by strong prices, improved varieties
(including Argentine and hybrid seed), and ready export
markets in Europe and Mexico. Planted acreage peaked
at 5.6 million acres in 1979.
Through the 1970s, sunflowers were touted as one of the
most promising growth crops. However, U.S. sunflower
production declined by more than two-thirds in the 1980s
as foreign sunflower production expanded and U.S. farmers
increased production of alternate oil crops (primarily
soybeans).
During the 1990s, sunflower acreage rebounded largely
due to the Food
Agricultural Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 that
included sunflower and other minor oilseeds in the Marketing
Assistance Loans/Loan Deficiency Payments program. Sunflowerseed
producers became eligible for Direct
Payments and Countercyclical
Payments in 2002 and the Average
Crop Revenue Election Program in 2008. However,
sunflower production has not regained levels seen in the
late 1970s, largely due to decreased export prospects.
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Production Practices
Sunflower production is concentrated in the northern Midwest,
where the shorter growing season makes corn and soybean
production less attractive (see 2007 Census of Agriculture
maps for Oil
Varieties and Confection
(Non-Oil) Varieties). Sunflowers are able to
thrive in these dry and windy areas due to a deep root
structure. In 2008, 44 percent of production was
in North Dakota, 31 percent in South Dakota, and the rest
scattered throughout Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas,
and Nebraska. Sunflowers can also be grown in a
double crop rotation in the southern Midwest, Delta, and
South, but widespread adoption has yet to take place.
In the northern Midwest, optimal planting time is May
1-20, but planting can extend into June (see Usual
Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops). Most
production is contracted prior to planting. Typically,
buyers provide specific types of hybrid seed and agree
to purchase the crop at a set price. Quality standards
also affect the future payment, especially for confection
seed. Sunflowers are harvested between late September
and early November.
In the northern Midwest, sunflowers are often planted
in rotation with small grains such as wheat, barley, and
oats and also with potatoes, sugar beets, and dry peas. Ideally,
crop rotations include sunflowers every 3-4 years to limit
the risk of disease and insects. Because sunflowers
are susceptible to the disease Sclerotinia (white
mold), other susceptible crops (such as canola, soybeans,
dry beans) should not be rotated with sunflowers.
Producers apply nitrogen, potassium, and potash (potassium
carbonate) in the spring. Pesticides and herbicides
are commonly applied because pests, weeds, and disease
can be significant problems. Recent improvements
in sunflower varieties that are resistant to Sclerotinia wilt
(stalk and head rot) have reduced pesticide use, though
disease resistance lags improvements in other major crops
(corn, soybeans, etc.).
Sunflower varieties are separated into two types: oil
and confection (non-oil). Oil-type sunflowerseed
is selected for specific characteristics such as oil yield,
the amount of oleic acid in the oil, and the protein content
of the meal (the residual left after extraction of the
oil). Oil-type sunflowerseeds are black with thin
hulls. Oil-type seeds contain 35-55 percent oil (compared
with 18 percent for soybeans) and about 20 percent crude
protein by weight, depending on the seed variety and irrigation
use. Confection sunflowerseeds are relatively thick
and large, with striped hulls that are only loosely attached
to the kernels. Approximately 90 percent of U.S.
production is oil-type sunflowerseed and 10 percent confection.
Processing
The majority of oil-type sunflowerseed is crushed in North
Dakota and western Kansas to separate oil from meal. The
amount of crush is primarily determined by demand for sunflowerseed
oil because the share of revenue from oil is larger than
that from meal.
Two major crushing technologies are used to process sunflowers
in the United States. All crushing plants use a
continuous feed expeller, which presses the oil from the
seeds by mechanical pressure. This process allows
3-10 percent more of the oil to remain in the meal. Afterwards,
most crushing plants use a solvent extraction process where
the remaining meal is washed with a hexane solution to
dislodge nearly all the remaining oil. Solvent extraction
reduces the oil content of sunflower meal to 0.5-1.0 percent,
increasing the value of the meal and producing larger amounts
of high-value sunflower oil.
Multiple small confectionary processing plants are located
throughout sunflower-producing States to take advantage
of local distribution. Some of the seed is roasted,
much like peanuts, while some is dehulled and the kernels
sold as confectionary "nuts." Food processors
purchase sunflower kernels to sell directly to consumers
as packaged snacks or as an ingredient in other food products. Most
hulls are used as turkey bedding, though some are ground
into pellets to provide fiber in animal feed.
Trade
The sunflower industry in the United States initially
evolved to export seed to Europe, which was the world's
largest export market. Two-thirds of U.S. sunflowerseed
production between 1970 and 1985 was exported. In
subsequent years, U.S. exports of sunflowerseed declined
(for more information, see Oilseeds: Background
for 1995 Farm Legislation). Global increases
in planted acres and yield improvement, coupled with increased
crush capacity near production areas, dramatically decreased
world trade in sunflowerseed from 2000 onward. By
2007/08, U.S. sunflowerseed exports were primarily sent
to Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
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In the late 1980s, production and exports of U.S. sunflower
oil increased steadily, aided significantly by Federal
export-promotion programs. The Export Enhancement
Program (EEP) and the Sunflowerseed Oil Assistance Program
(SOAP) in particular supported strong U.S. sales of sunflower
oil to developing markets by providing credit guarantees,
export subsidies, and food aid. SOAP last operated
in 1996 and, though EEP remained active through 2007, EEP
program support for sunflower oil exports fell into disuse
earlier.
Between 1980/81 and 2000/01, sunflower oil exports averaged
a quarter of a million metric tons annually, or 76 percent
of U.S. sunflower oil production. In recent years,
however, exports of U.S. sunflower oil declined considerably,
and in 2007/08, only 77,000 metric tons of sunflower oil
were exported from the United States, representing 27 percent
of U.S. domestic production. Recent adoption of mid-oleic
sunflower varieties has increased domestic demand by the
frying food industry for sunflower oil.
As exports of crude sunflower oil have declined, exports
of refined oil have risen. Since the late 1990s,
the U.S. sunflower industry added refining facilities to
retain a higher share of value-added processing. In
2003/04, 24,000 metric tons of refined U.S. sunflower oil
was exported to Canada and, by 2007/08, Canada had become
the primary destination of refined oil, with exports at
73,000 tons. In 2007/08, several Latin American nations
including Chile, Brazil, and Mexico were also importing
more refined oil from the United States.
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Exports of confectionary seed remain steady, despite increases
in world production, because U.S. seed is valued for its
consistently larger size and uniform quality. Spain
and Turkey are the primary destinations of U.S. in-shell
confectionary seed exports, with a handful of Middle East and
European countries importing the remainder. Half
of U.S. shelled seed exports go to Germany and the United
Kingdom, and the remainder are sent to other European Union
nations, Canada, and Mexico.
Consumption
Sunflowerseed
 Roughly a quarter of all sunflowerseed production is used
to produce birdseed. The 2006
National and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife Watching survey
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that people
spent $3.35 billion feeding wild birds, up 64 percent from
2001. Consumers spent $2.7 billion on commercially
prepared bird food, up 33 percent from 2001, with the rest
spent on bulk wild bird food. Sunflowerseeds are
considered a premium birdfeed ingredient due to their high
oil content and thin hulls. Most birdfeed uses oil-type
sunflowerseed, though small confection seeds are also used.
Confectionary sunflowerseeds are a familiar component
of snack products. Approximately 10-20 percent of
U.S. sunflower production is used in shelled kernels, whole
seeds, and nut and fruit mixes containing sunflowerseed. Kernels
are also used in processed foods, such as granola bars
and breads. Confectionary sunflowerseed competes
with nut crops such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews,
and specialty grains such as millet and flax used in the
production of multi-grain breads.
Sunflower Oil
Domestic demand for sunflower oil has increased in recent
years as processors have built refineries and large buyers
have committed to future purchases. Food processors
use the oil for frying foods (including potato chips) and
in salad and cooking oil, margarine, and dairy substitutes. Sunflower
oil is preferred in many high-quality dining establishments
for its neutral taste. A small supply of high-oleic
oil is used in industrial frying applications where high
temperatures require good oxidation stability. A
small amount of oil is also used in cosmetics, resins,
and lubricants.
Linoleic, high-oleic, and mid-oleic sunflower oils are
sold in the United States. Until recently, linoleic
oil was the predominant oil. Linoleic oil must be
partially hydrogenated to maintain its stability in various
uses, a process that also creates trans fats. Plant
breeders began developing mid-oleic seed after research
uncovered a link between trans fats and heart disease. Today,
the majority of the sunflower oil supply is mid-oleic,
which does not require hydrogenation. Mid-oleic oil
has no trans fats, low monounsaturated fat, a neutral taste,
and is more durable when used in industrial frying. Such
qualities make food processors willing to pay a premium
for sunflowerseed oil over soybean oil.
U.S. prices for sunflower oil generally move in unison
with other
vegetable oil prices, with sunflower oil commanding
a premium. It is a common practice for those trading
sunflower oil to hedge in the soybean oil futures market. Strong
demand for sunflower oil in edible uses raises its price
and limits its use for producing biodiesel.
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Sunflower Meal
Livestock, typically beef and dairy cattle, consume sunflower
meal as part of a feed ration. Sunflower meal is
consumed near crushing plants in North Dakota and Kansas
in feedlots, and to a lesser extent in dairy operations. Export
demand for sunflower meal is limited, with small amounts
shipped to Canada.
The price of sunflower meal is generally discounted from
other protein meals, partly because of its lower protein
content (28-38 percent vs. 44-49 percent for soybean meal). High
fiber content and limited availability of lysine (an important
nutritional component in swine and poultry production)
also limit demand. Retaining the hulls increases
fiber content and meal volume but tends to lower overall
feed energy value, which results in lower prices.
For More Information
- ERS
- Oil Crops Yearbook tables
- Table
20, Sunflowerseed: Acreage planted, harvested,
yield, production, and value, U.S.
- Table
21, Sunflowerseed: Supply, disappearance, and price,
U.S.
- Table
22, Sunflowerseed meal: Supply, disappearance,
and price, U.S.
- Table
23, Sunflowerseed oil: Supply, disappearance, and
price, U.S.
- The
U.S. Sunflower Industry, Agricultural Economic
Report, October 1992
- USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Commodity
Statistics (Click on "Sunflower
Seed")
- National Statistics
- Link to Quick Stats, which contains data on planted
and harvested acreage, yield, production, and value
at the National, State, and county levels for both
oil-type and confection (non-oil) varieties
- Links to all recent reports on acreage, monthly
marketings, prices, production, stocks, and value
- Links to Sunflower county maps
- USDA, Farm Service Agency, daily and weekly sunflower
prices
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