BELOKURIKHA, February 27. /TASS/. The sunflower harvest in Russia in the next agricultural year [from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026] may reach a record 18 mln metric tons, Dmitry Rylko, the General Director of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) said at the 18th Grain Conference,
According to Russian statistics, the gross harvest of sunflower seeds (weight after processing) in 2024 stood at 16.6 mln metric tons.
“We think that in the next season, all other things being equal and with no unexpected developments, there is a chance that we can hit a record 18 mln metric ton harvest,” Rylko said.
He noted that, so far, there has been no significant shift toward domestic sunflower hybrids, as producers still had reserves of imported seeds. However, such a transition could take place in the 2025 and 2026 agricultural seasons. Rylko also highlighted the ongoing expansion of land allocated for oilseed crops in Russia, particularly sunflower and rapeseed. Rapeseed production this year is expected to exceed 5 million metric tons, he added.