Sunflower Crop Quality Report 2016 2017 - BLM.indd.pdf

- Seasonal Trends: The sunflower seed marketing season runs from March to February. In the 2017/2018 season, opening stock more than tripled compared to the previous year and is nearly double the ten-year average.

- Imports and Domestic Production: Imports of sunflower and sunflower seed products have significantly decreased, with only 554 tons recorded from March 2017 to January 2018, compared to 70,643 and 36,064 tons in the previous two seasons. South Africa remains a net importer of vegetable oils, but domestic production is projected to grow at an average of 1.7% annually over the outlook period.

- Oil and Oilcake Dynamics: The substantial increase in sunflower seed production led to a notable rise in sunflower oil output in 2017. However, soybean oil's share in domestically produced vegetable oils is expected to expand, potentially at the expense of sunflower oil, due to growing soybean production and crushing.

- Usage and Processing: Of the 803,208 tons of processed sunflower seeds, only 1,390 tons (0.2%) were for human consumption, and 5,350 tons (0.7%) were for animal feed. The majority (over 99%) is crushed to produce oil and oilcake.

- Projected Growth: Domestic sunflower oilcake production is estimated to reach 350,000 tons in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 25%. By 2026, oilcake production is projected to be nearly 350,000 tons, with additional growth driven by imports.

- Exports and Global Market: Exports so far stand at 230 tons, with Russia and Ukraine being the top global sunflower seed exporters during the 2016/2017 season (accounting for 76% of worldwide exports).