EU to harvest third-smallest sunflower seed crop in 10 years

According to UFOP, the European Commission estimates that the EU will produce approximately 8.5 million tonnes of sunflower seeds in 2025. This represents a nearly 3% increase over the disappointing 2024. The increased yield partially offset a slight decline in the EU’s cultivated area. However, this is still the third-lowest harvest in the last 10 years. Despite the expected yield being higher than last year, the average will be 18.0 centners per hectare, which is still significantly below the long-term average of 20.1 centners per hectare. Last year, the yield was only 17.4 centners per hectare. Sunflower cultivation area in the EU decreased slightly – by approximately 0.5%, to just under 4.8 million hectares. Romania remains the most important sunflower-growing region in the EU-27, with a reduced cultivated area of ​​1.2 million hectares. Yields are expected to be slightly higher, but still below average. Production is forecast at 1.7 million tonnes, significantly higher than ...