Sunseed processing in Moldova is facing problems

Published Jan 28, 2025

Tridge summary

Moldova's export of sunflower seeds has surged to 334 thousand tons this season, marking a significant increase from previous years. However, agro-market expert Yuri Ryzha raises concerns about the decline in domestic processing into oil, which adversely affects the local industry. Moldova's growing dependence on foreign markets results in selling raw seeds at lower prices than processed products, despite a higher average export price compared to last season, though still below 2021/2022 levels. January 2025 saw a notable export increase, presenting opportunities for sellers. Ryzha stresses the importance of collaboration between farmers and processors to enhance value chains. Meanwhile, Ukraine's oil extraction plants face reduced processing due to raw material shortages. The article also highlights the AgriSupp platform by UkrAgroConsult, providing market intelligence for grains and oilseeds.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

This season, the export of sunflower seeds from Moldova reached 334 thsd tons, which shows a significant increase compared to 221 thsd tons last season and 154.5 thsd tons in 2022/23. Despite the large export volumes, agro-market expert Yuri Ryzha in an interview with Agtoexpert.md states that this trend indicates an alarming situation: the domestic processing of sunflower seeds into oil within the Republic is degrading, which negatively affects the local processing industry and is being created within the country. Instead of capitalizing on the potential of the processing industry, Moldova is becoming increasingly dependent on foreign markets, where sunseed is sold as a raw material at prices lower than the value of processed products. In the current season, the average price of exported sunflower is higher than last season, but remains below the level of the 2021/2022 season, the agency notes. However, the average price for January 2025, which is 12.15 lei/kg ($650/ton), is ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult