Nuseed Americas : 2015 USDA Sunflower Production Report

January 25, 2016

January USDA SF Report

John Sandbakken, Executive Director - National Sunflower Association - January 12, 2016

The 2015 sunflower production totaled 2.92 billion pounds, up 32 percent from 2014 and up less than 1 percent from the October forecast. The United States average yield per acre increased 156 pounds from last year to a record high 1,625 pounds. Planted area, at 1.86 million acres, is 19 percent above last year. Area harvested increased 19 percent from last year to 1.80 million acres.

While the largest planted area occurred in North Dakota, the State with the largest production was South Dakota where production is the highest since 1999, at 1.23 billion pounds. Compared with last year, planted area in South Dakota increased 27 percent and yield increased 179 pounds to a record high 1,858 pounds per acre. Meanwhile, production in North Dakota increased 26 percent, mostly due to the increase in yield, which increased 217 pounds from last year and is the third highest on record. In addition to South Dakota, record high yields were also achieved in Kansas and Nebraska.

United States production of oil-type sunflower varieties, at 2.38 billion pounds, increased 43 percent from 2014. Compared with last year, harvested acres are up 33 percent and the average yield increased by 119 pounds, to a record high 1,579 pounds per acre.

Production of non-oil sunflower varieties is estimated at 540 million pounds, a decrease of 3 percent from last year. Area harvested, at 308,600 acres, is down 21 percent from 2014. The average yield increased by 368 pounds from last year to a record high 1,865 pounds per acre, more than 300 pounds per acre higher than the previous record high.

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