This process is quite complicated, time-consuming and responsible, because it is necessary to collect seeds in such a way that labor and financial costs are minimal, and at the same time favorable conditions are created for growing the following crops after sunflower.

Terms and duration of sunflower harvesting

At industrial cultivation sunflower in order to obtain a high yield of seeds, attention should be paid not only to the observance of agricultural technology, sunflower harvesting is also of great importance.

Of course, losses during harvesting of sunflowers cannot be avoided - losses alone behind combines reach 3 c/ha. This includes direct quantitative losses and indirect losses that were caused by deterioration in seed quality as a result of mechanical damage.

The most significant are direct losses: in the form of baskets of cut or not cut and free seeds remaining behind the header, as well as seeds lost behind the thresher. In addition, direct losses include a decrease in crop volumes due to self-threshing and self-shedding of heads due to prolonged or late harvesting periods. The longer the terms of sunflower harvesting are delayed, the more all types of direct losses increase, so it is so important to start harvesting on time.

Video about sunflower harvesting

The most effective is the harvesting of sunflowers, which is carried out during the period of full ripeness of plants, that is, when the leaves and baskets of the main part of the sunflower in the field dry out, acquiring a brown color. At this time, the accumulation of oil in the seeds just ends, the kernel becomes hard, and the seeds themselves acquire a color characteristic of the sunflower variety. It is advisable to start harvesting when no more than 15% of sunflowers with yellow heads remain on the field.

The longer the terms of sunflower harvesting are delayed, the more all types of direct losses increase.

However, the maturation of sunflower does not always go smoothly - in areas of humid forest-steppe, the ripening phase often occurs in unfavorable weather, as a result, the seeds do not have time to dry on the vine, and the humidity of the harvested seeds reaches 25%. In such cases, to accelerate the ripening of seeds, sunflower fields in dry weather are sprayed with desiccants, due to which:

• plants finish the growing season faster and ripen at the same time;
• harvesting starts a week earlier;
• sunflower yield increases significantly;
• the seeds are of better quality, their moisture content is not more than 9%;
• oil yield from one hectare increases;
• the productivity of combines increases, and energy costs are reduced.

Ideally, the moisture content of the collected seeds should be about 7%, then they can be stored for as long as possible. If you store seeds with high humidity, oxidation will occur, and the oil will become unsuitable for human consumption.

The optimal duration of harvesting is up to six days

It is extremely undesirable to delay the harvesting of sunflower, since by the fifth day the losses from shedding of seeds double or triple. The optimal duration of harvesting work is up to six days.

What sunflower yield can be expected?

Many different factors affect sunflower yields, from weather conditions to farming practices. In rare cases, it is possible to collect more than 30 centners per hectare, the average sunflower yield per 1 hectare is within 10 centners, and the maximum recorded figure is 45 centners per hectare.

Many different factors affect sunflower yields, from weather conditions to farming practices.

During the experiments of VNIIMK, it was revealed that the yield of sunflowers increases to 22.8% when it is placed in the fields after winter wheat, and when sunflower is grown after sugar beet, this figure drops to 14.2%. The greatest decrease in yield (up to 10.1 c/ha) was noted as a result of sowing sunflower in the rotation of the layer of perennial grasses, since they tend to dry out the deep layers of the soil.

Sunflower harvesting equipment

Sunflower harvesting is carried out with the help of combine harvesters equipped with choppers, which crush and scatter unwanted stalks across the field, and those stalks that remain on the vine are cut with disc harrows. A special device for sunflower harvesting is also used, which cuts the heads and threshes the seeds.

Video about black gold or sunflower harvesting

The stems remaining on the field can be cut not only with disc stubblers, but also with headers, with subsequent removal of plant waste from the field. A modern sunflower harvester can be used in all areas of sunflower cultivation, with any sowing method and in any weather conditions (even with snow or frost). Permissible moisture content of seeds is from 12% to 20%.

After harvesting, sunflower seeds are processed at grain cleaning units and stored for storage with a layer of up to one meter at a moisture content not higher than 7%.

Agricultural activity rarely attracts businessmen. Growing sunflowers is not difficult, especially if you start doing such an activity in a region suitable for climate. High business profitability attracts businessmen. Good organized business can bring 200 or 300 percent profit. High rates can be achieved in areas favorable for growing a flower.

Sunflower business products

The product of sunflower cultivation is its seeds. Many other products necessary for a person are made from them:

• You can eat peeled sunflower seeds;
• Production of sunflower oil - an indispensable product found in every kitchen;
• Production of margarine - an analogue of butter;
• Production of useful sweets: halva, gozinaki and sweets;
• The seeds are used by the confectionery industry for the production and decoration of products.

Until recently, nothing was known about such a product as sunflower; it came to us from North America only under Peter the Great.

Sunflower varieties - which one to choose for business?

To effectively grow sunflower for sale, the farmer will have to choose the most suitable variety for his region:

• Spring. The most commonly sown sunflower variety in Russia. Plants of this variety have the shortest vegetative period, lasting only 83 days. This variety is well suited for the production of oil, this is facilitated by a high (55) percentage of its content. Up to 30 centners of crops can be harvested from one hectare even under adverse weather conditions.
• Gourmand. This variety was bred relatively recently, but has already managed to gain popularity. This was facilitated by high yields. At least 35 centners are collected from one hectare. The seeds of this variety are distinguished by a large regular shape, thanks to which they won the love of confectioners who use them to decorate their products. Plants cope well with possible diseases.
• Yenisei. The plant is disease resistant and matures quickly. Only 90 days pass from planting to harvest. The variety gives large seeds, gives up to 4 kernels when crushed. But the plants of this variety have low indicators: the percentage of oil content is only 46, and it is not always possible to harvest more than 24 centners of the crop from one hectare.

The main genetic disadvantage of each of the sunflower species is its heterogeneity. Seeds ripen for about 2 months, during the harvest period some plants are already fully ripe, while other x brothers are just beginning to bloom. It can be very expensive to clean the fields several times a season, so unripe seeds have to be dried additionally.

Another feature of the plant is its phenotypic heterogeneity. The germination of plants, their flowering and maturation are heterogeneous, all flowers will have different heights, sizes of baskets, their slopes. For this reason, cleaning will be very complicated.

You can deal with these problems using hybrids. Such varieties have a number of advantages:

• Less soil depletion;
• Rapid maturation;
• Practically not susceptible to disease;
• All seeds will be the same size;
• Simultaneous maturation of all plant specimens.

Hybrid seeds are much more expensive than simple varieties, so farmers very often prefer them, but when harvesting "thrifty" farmers, unexpected costs will await:

• Due to the heterogeneity of the harvest, equipment wears out much faster and will soon require costly repairs or replacements;
• When harvesting, a third of the crop is lost;
• It is not always possible to effectively dry the seeds.

Choosing a site for growing sunflower

The main feature of sunflower cultivation is the need to constantly change the places where the flower grows. This is due to the unique feature of the plant - it "sucks" all the useful substances from the soil, completely depleting it and turning the once fertile soil into lifeless land in just a season.

To combat this disease of the soil, experts recommend constantly changing the places where the flower grows and letting the earth rest for at least a couple of seasons.

Sowing and growing sunflowers

Sowing work begins with the purchase of seeds. On a plot of one hectare, about 5 kilograms of quality seeds will be required. One kilogram costs about 200 rubles, so the purchase of seed for the site will cost 1000 rubles.

After purchasing the required number of seeds, prepare the soil on the site:

• In autumn, the land is plowed with a tractor. Equipment does not have to be owned, rent of agricultural machines is now common.
• In the spring, after the snow melts and the soil warms up, the site must be harrowed and cultivated.
• After the climate stabilizes above 10 degrees Celsius and warm weather is established, seeds are planted. To create ideal growing conditions, sunflower seeds are placed in the soil by 8 - 10 cm. In this case, seedlings will appear as quickly as possible.
• Uniform maturation of seeds is ensured by the simultaneous planting of all seeds on the same day.

It is important to monitor the absence of weeds near fields with sunflowers. To combat excess plants, the space between the rows of sunflowers must be periodically weeded to remove excess sprouts.

Sunflower harvest

Harvesting begins when most of the plants turn brown. The collection begins when only 10% yellow remains on the field. The rest of it should be dry.

All harvesting work must be done in less than a week. In this case, the losses will be minimal. They will make up about 5% of the total harvest. To reduce losses, it is necessary to take care of timely harvesting. The best time to collect is a sunny dry day with humidity up to 20%.

Agricultural machinery is used for harvesting. Behind the combine should not be more than 3% of the crop.

To increase harvesting efficiency and prevent crop losses, it is recommended to stop the machines every three hours for inspection. They must do their job effectively:

• Separation;
• Threshing;
• grain cleaning;
• Harvest accumulation.

Sales of products

To sell products, the farmer must conclude agreements with confectioners, points of sale and butter factories. It is recommended to do this without waiting for the maturation of the plants. To protect against unexpected crop losses and non-fulfillment of contracts, they can be concluded for a crop volume less than expected. Unsold products can be kept for personal use or retail sale.

Storage of unsold products

Seeds immediately after collection do not tolerate storage, undergo changes and rot. High humidity and contamination negatively affect the shelf life of this product.

• The temperature of the seed rises to 25 degrees Celsius. At the same time, flowability, smell, taste, gloss, color and germination do not change.
• The temperature is already rising to 40 degrees. Microorganisms develop rapidly on seeds. The smell becomes musty, the taste becomes bitter, the shine is lost, and the seeds themselves are covered with mold fungi. Even the color of the nuclei changes. At this stage, the seeds are no longer suitable for further use. The mound of seeds is strongly compacted, the oil is characterized by an increase in acidity. At the same time, the germination of seeds decreases markedly.
• In the third stage, the temperature reaches 55 degrees. At this point, already thermophilic bacteria are actively developing. Unpleasant tastes and odors are aggravated, the seed coat begins to darken, and the shine disappears. The acidity of the oil becomes critical, the seeds are no longer suitable for human consumption by 85%. Their germination is completely reduced to zero.
• In the fourth stage, the seeds continue to increase their temperature. This stage is characterized by one hundred percent defectiveness of seeds.

Long-term storage will be effective only if seeds with a low contamination of up to 2% are selected for it. They should be dried to 5 - 7% moisture. For efficient storage, they are cooled to low, but positive temperatures.

Subject to these rules, sunflower seeds can be stored for up to 6 months.

Profitability of business on sunflowers

The profitability of a business depends on the combination of income and expenses. To process one hectare, you will need the following equipment:

• Pre-sowing treatment will cost 3000 rubles.
• Pest control - another 1200.
• Cleaning costs 2000.
• Fuel costs will be approximately 1000 rubles.

The income will be 40,000 rubles per ton. About 2.5 tons of crops can be harvested from one hectare, taking into account losses. It turns out an income of 100,000 - 7200 \u003d 92,800 rubles per hectare.

Video about sunflower cultivation:

In relation to 2013 (for 5 years), the area increased by 12.1% (by 879.8 thousand hectares), compared to 2008 (for 10 years) - by 31.6% (by 1,957.3 thousand hectares ), by 2001 - by 113.2% (by 4,331.0 thousand ha).

Rating of TOP-10 regions by sunflower area

1. Saratov region. The area occupied 1,220.4 thousand hectares (15.0% of the total). Over the year, they increased by 6.3% (by 72.4 thousand hectares).

2. Orenburg region (area in 2018 - 920.2 thousand hectares, share in total area - 11.3%).

3. Rostov region (712.8 thousand hectares, 8.7%).

4. Altai Territory (669.4 thousand hectares, 8.2%).

5. Volgograd region (636.8 thousand hectares, 7.8%).

Also, the TOP-10 regions in terms of sunflower acreage in 2018 included Samara Region, Krasnodar Territory, Voronezh Region, Tambov Region, Stavropol Territory.

Gross harvest of sunflower seeds in Russia in 2018

The gross harvest of sunflower seeds in 2018, according to Rosstat, in the initial weight was at the level of 13,380.4 thousand tons (12,601.3 thousand tons in weight after completion). Over the year, fees increased by 19.0% (by 2,132.2 thousand tons), over 5 years - by 26.7% (by 2,816.5 thousand tons), over 10 years - by 82.0% ( by 6,028.6 thousand tons). In relation to 2001, production increased by 398.9% (by 10,698.2 thousand tons).

Rating of TOP-10 regions for the collection of sunflower seeds

1. Saratov region. Produced 1,621.8 thousand tons (12.1% in general fees). In relation to 2017, the volumes increased by 49.4% (by 536.2 thousand tons).

2. Rostov region (fee in 2018 amounted to 1,377.2 thousand tons, share - 10.3%).

3. Voronezh region (1,148.9 thousand tons, 8.6%).

4. Orenburg region (1,016.9 thousand tons, 7.6%).

5. Samara region (997.8 thousand tons, 7.5%).

The TOP-10 regions in terms of gross harvest of sunflower seeds in 2018 also included Volgograd Region, Krasnodar Territory, Tambov Region, Altai Territory, Stavropol Territory.

The yield of sunflower seeds in Russia in 2018

In recent years, Russia has seen a steady upward trend in sunflower yields. In 2018, it amounted to 17.2 centners per hectare (16.2 centners per hectare - in weight after completion), which is 11.0% (1.7 centners per hectare) higher than the figures for a year and five years ago. For 10 years, the yield increased by 39.8% (by 4.9 centners per hectare), compared to 2001 - by 120.5% (by 9.4 centners per hectare).

An analysis of average annual indicators over a long period makes it possible to largely exclude the influence of natural and climatic factors and determine the contribution of the use of advanced technologies to changes in sunflower yields in Russia.

The average annual yield of sunflower seeds in Russia in 1991-2000 was 9.5 c/ha, in 2001-2010. - increased to 10.6 c/ha, in 2011-2018. - reached 15.0 c/ha. Thus, the trend towards a sustainable increase in productivity is not accidental, it is sustainable, and has been observed for a number of years.

Sunflower seed yield by key producing regions (TOP-10):
1. Saratov region. The yield of sunflower seeds in 2018 amounted to 13.9 q/ha.

2. Rostov region - 19.5 q/ha.

3. Voronezh region - 26.7 q/ha.

4. Orenburg region - 11.3 q/ha.

5. Samara region - 16.6 q/ha.

6. Volgograd region - 16.0 q/ha.

7. Krasnodar Territory - 22.7 q/ha.

8. Tambov region - 21.8 q/ha.

9. Altai Territory - 11.2 q/ha.

10. Stavropol Territory - 17.1 kg / ha.

How to earn more than 4 million rubles a year in a sunflower growing business? How to organize a break-even business, and what investments are needed? Read the business plan for growing sunflowers with calculations.

Sunflower business plan

Sunflower is an unpretentious plant in cultivation, the seed of which is very popular in production. Sunflower cultivation is mainly carried out on an industrial scale. But summer residents often grow seeds for themselves. However, large fields are needed to earn money.

We evaluate the idea

First of all, you need to evaluate the case. Answer the questions:

1. Where to get finance for the business?- investments will be required from 2 million rubles.
2. Will you organize crop rotation?- without crop rotation, you will have to annually look for new lands for planting.
3. Is it possible to rent equipment, land?- without rent, the costs will increase greatly, and the payback period of the business will be from 3 to 7 years.
4. What about competitors, distribution and pricing?- evaluate these indicators, find out about the cost of purchasing seeds in order to substitute the numbers in the business plan.
5. Take on workers permanent basis? - workers are needed only for 5-6 months a year, but every year it will be difficult to look for a constantly new workforce.

These questions will help you collect all the numbers and translate them into calculations. No business is possible without calculating the profitability of the business. Also evaluate the strengths of the case and its weaknesses.

Pros:

1. High profitability.
2. Constant demand.
3. Cold tolerance.
4. Unpretentiousness in care.
5. Rapid growth - 4 months.
6. State assistance - subsidies, accreditation, equipment at a small percentage.

Minuses:

1. Competition at a high level.
2. It is not profitable to work in small areas.
3. Without the lease of land and equipment, the costs will increase by 3-10 times.
4. It is impossible without crop rotation.

It is important to learn about the purchase price of seeds. Also find equipment and land for rent. More fields are used for crop rotation, and an agronomist is hired to properly organize crop rotation.

Preparing the land, planting sunflowers

Ordinary lands with black soil are suitable for growing sunflowers. Also mild, slightly acidic fields near forests that used to grow crops, corn, or cabbages. But after tomatoes and beets, sunflowers are not planted. Crop rotation is also important in business. After growing sunflowers, peas, beans or the same wheat are grown on this land. So the earth will be enriched with the necessary trace elements faster and will be ready for a new planting. The next landing on this land will be in 5-6 years.

Council number 1. The best way to deal with multiple crops is by renting land. Hire an agronomist for crop rotation and soil preparation.

The lands are plowed up in autumn and fertilized with phosphorus and potassium. If there is a weed, then it is removed. In the spring, the fields are plowed, peeled, harrowed, leveled and then sown.

Preparing seeds for planting is a separate procedure. You need to do the following:

1. Choose large seeds with grains inside. All seeds are passed through a sieve - small ones leave, large ones remain. Next, large seeds are placed in a saline solution. Those that sink to the bottom within ten minutes are ready to land.
2. Etch. A solution is prepared - garlic and onion peel are diluted and left in water for 8-12 hours. After that, the seeds are immersed for the same time in this solution. Everything, the seeds are ready for planting.

Seeds are sown to a depth of 7-10 centimeters in early May, when the earth is warmed up from +8 ° C. The distance between landings is 30-60 centimeters. Do not rush to plant if the ground is not warm. Up to 10 kilograms of seeds are needed per 1 hectare of land, with a margin. 1 kilogram of a quality seed variety costs 250 rubles. The seeds will need 100 * 10 * 250 = 250,000 rubles. For planting, seeds Rodnik, Lakomka, Yenisei, Kuban are used. Seeds are bought new every year.

The lands are leased. The cost of renting 1 hectare is 2-4 thousand rubles. Rental costs will amount to 350,000 rubles. Fertilizers another 300,000 rubles.

The cost of rent, seeds and fertilizers will amount to 900,000 rubles annually.

Technique and workers

If you organize crop rotation, then you need equipment and workers. The most profitable way to use the services is to hire staff under a service agreement and rent equipment. If you can’t rent, you will have to buy - the cost will be from 7 million rubles.

The sowing or harvesting service for 1 hectare will cost 2.5-3 thousand rubles. Technology can be replaced labor force- sow by hand. This work is paid the same amount.

Equipment rental will cost 600,000 rubles annually.

Of the workers needed:

1. Agronomist. Service 40,000 rubles for soil preparation and crop rotation. Also calls to view fields for diseases.
2. Workers. Annual payment of 200,000 rubles for planting, harvesting, packaging.
3. Watchman. Large fields are desirable to control. Annual costs 60 000 rubles.

Good workers still need to be found. Not everyone has a high level of responsibility. This can be difficult.

The annual payment to workers will be 300,000 rubles.

Sunflower cultivation technology

The land must be treated with herbicides from weeds. Plants require watering at first, so you will either have to organize watering or plant them, foreseeing that it will rain in the next week. Watering with the growth of the plant only increases. If you live in a dry region, be sure to organize watering.

Fertilize the soil with urea after watering. As soon as the seed pods began to form, fertilize with potash fertilizers.

The best way to control pests and diseases is proper planting care. Fields must be treated with preparations before planting and during flowering. Better to use folk remedies. There are pests against which there are no means of protection. Prevent them only with quality care. Also take care to protect the flowers from birds.

Council number 2. Use the service of an agronomist during the growing season to track the growth of sunflowers.

Sunflower is grown for 100-120 days. The harvest begins in August, when the sunflower heads hang from the weight. Harvesting is carried out by combines with full control agronomist or other specialist. From 1 hectare you can get 1.5-3.5 tons of seeds. The amount directly depends on each process - planting, care and collection. Some of the seeds can be lost when harvested. But the yield depends on the care.

Seeds are stored in non-woven bags or poured in a layer up to 1 meter. At the same time, the humidity in warehouses should not exceed 8%, and the temperature should not exceed +2 °C. The room itself must be cleared of debris and treated with an antiseptic. So the seed will be preserved for up to 6 months. But it is better to sell it immediately after harvest.

The annual cost of fertilizers and preparations is 300,000 rubles. Container for seeds (optional) - 50,000 rubles. Also consider the cost of irrigation, if it is organized.

Sales of products and business registration

The sale of seeds must be agreed in advance. Since warehouses are needed for storage, and the shelf life is not long, then sign contracts. To whom to sell products:

• seed producers;
• oil producers;
• Confectionery enterprises;
• Candy factories, halva producers;
• Selling through online advertising.

Business needs mandatory registration of a peasant farm. To do this, contact the tax authority, get a list for collection required documents and register KFH. The tax will be 6% of sales - ESHN.

Purchase of a business plan - 20,000 rubles. Business registration - 10,000 rubles. The annual tax is 400,000 rubles.

Expenses and incomes - we consider profit

Cost graph for starting a business

One-time costs will amount to 400 thousand rubles. The remaining costs will be repeated annually.

Annual costs

Annual investments will amount to 2.4 million rubles. Also consider the organization of watering and the cost of electricity - it is needed depending on the region. Prices for renting land and equipment may vary. You may still need storage, but try to avoid this point by concluding sales agreements in advance.

Before profit, the costs will amount to 2.8 million rubles.

We consider profit

1.5-3 tons of seeds come out from 1 hectare. Take the average - 2.2 tons. 1 ton costs 20-40 thousand rubles. The total area is 100 hectares. The total income will be 100 * 2.2 * 30,000 = 6,600,000 rubles.

Profit from the case will be 6,600,000 - 2,400,000 = 4,200,000 rubles. Payback of business 1 year. In this case, the profit can be either less than 2 times, or 2 times more. The profitability of the sunflower business is 60%.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, as of September 14, 572.1 thousand hectares of sunflower or 7.1% of crops were harvested in Russia, about 1.1 million tons were received. The average harvest per hectare is 19.2 centners against 22.3 centners a year earlier. The dry weather conditions of the previous months negatively affect the yield, experts say “ SovEcon". The rains, which began in July, could not noticeably replenish moisture reserves in many regions. As a result, the center's August forecast for a record harvest of 11.3 million tons in September may be lowered. Last year, Russia harvested 10.5 million tons of sunflower.

Experts of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies ( IKAR) are of a different opinion. Their previous forecast for the sunflower crop is 11.2 million tons. “Most likely, it will be slightly increased,” notes a leading expert IKAR Daniel Khotko. “Although in the South, as expected, yields are 10-15% lower than last year due to the detrimental effect of heat in the Stavropol Territory and Krasnodar Territory, in general, the harvest will definitely be higher than last year if there are no weather disasters.” .

This season, sunflower is harvested to the maximum optimal timing- in past years, by mid-September, in a number of regions of the Center and the Volga region, it was still green, which is why harvesting was delayed until winter, and part of the fields even "left for spring," Khotko said " Agro-investor". More than 130 thousand hectares of sunflower have already been harvested in the Central Federal District, while at this time in 2017 - only 4.5 thousand hectares. The yield in the regions of the district is 21.7 c/ha, which is 1.8 c/ha less than last year. In the Volga region, sunflower began to harvest Saratov, Orenburg and Ulyanovsk regions. From 16.8 thousand hectares (0.5% of crops), they received a total of 15.4 thousand tons of oilseeds. A year ago, at this time, sunflower in the Volga Federal District was harvested from only 1.9 thousand hectares, 1.7 thousand tons were harvested. The average yield in the district is still higher than last year: 9.1 centners per hectare against 8.9 centners per hectare.

An important risk factor that could negatively affect the overall gross harvest is the harvest in the Altai Territory, where it already snowed in early September, continues Khotko. However, the agrarians of the region do not consider this weather force majeure to be critical and believe that the weather will improve in the next two weeks, the expert notes. Sunflower in the region occupies 670 thousand hectares, which is about 8% of the total crops in the country. At the same time, the quality of sunflower this year is higher than in the previous one: in the South and in the Center there is a high oil content in agriculture. Thus, we should expect more oil output than last season, adds Khotko.

Fee not as high as previously expected will support domestic prices, predicts " SovEcon". But on the other hand, their possible growth will be limited historically low prices for oilseeds on the world market. In the last week of August, oil refineries increased their purchase prices for sunflower: they increased by an average of 500 rubles/t to 19.5-20 thousand rubles/t (CPT, excluding VAT). Offer prices in the South were at the level of 19.5-20.5 thousand rubles / t (EXW farm), analysts of the center note.

Khotko explains the increase in prices primarily by the strengthening of the dollar: this gave a higher price for oil and led to an increase in the cost of sunflower. “The second reason is that farmers this season can afford to hold oilseeds in anticipation of a better price, so processors are forced to offer a higher price, motivating farmers to more active sales' he says. The expert recalls that last year, due to the high gross grain harvest, farmers did not have free capacities for storing oilseeds, so they tried to sell them as quickly as possible. “There is always a shortage of sunflower at domestic oil refineries, since their capacities, depending on the year, exceed the harvest by 25-30%. And although this year the supply of raw materials to factories will be higher than in the past, a shortage of agriculture cannot be avoided, ”Khotko draws attention. However, in any case, if the dollar remains at the current level, with the growth of the gross harvest, the price of sunflower seeds in October may sink, he believes.

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FASUSDA) in the September review left in place its August forecast for the gross harvest of sunflower in Russia - 11 million tons (excluding Crimea, where agriculture is sown on 77 thousand hectares). American analysts estimate the harvest of all oilseeds in our country at 16.7 million tons, which is 1.5 million tons more than last year. Including the department predicts that the harvest of soybeans will be 3.9 million tons, rapeseed - 1.8 million tons. SovEcon» also estimates the potential for harvesting rapeseed at 1.8 million tons, and soybeans at 4.1 million tons. Forecast IKAR for rapeseed - also up to 1.8 million tons, soybeans - 4 million tons. By September 14, the first one was harvested from more than 675 thousand hectares (almost 43% of crops), almost 1.1 million tons were obtained. 4 thousand hectares (20%), harvested 1.06 million tons, follows from the data of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia.