This episode explores current trends and challenges in the global sunflower market.

• Russia continues to face significant difficulties, particularly in the Krasnodar Territory and Southern Federal District, where droughts have sharply reduced sunflower sales. August volumes dropped to just 22,600 tons, a 1.8-fold year-over-year decrease. Only 14% of Russia's sunflower areas have been harvested, with yields averaging a below-normal 1.23 tons per hectare.
• In Ukraine, ongoing rainfall in the northern and western zones has delayed harvesting operations, although this has helped maintain elevated market prices between 26,500 and 27,500 Ukrainian hryvnias per ton. Over 570,000 hectares have been harvested so far, with early yields surpassing last year's. However, the USDA has lowered Ukraine's total production forecast for the 2025–2026 marketing year to 12.7 million tons, down from a previous estimate of 13.5 million tons.
• Kazakhstan’s sunflower oil market is seeing declining prices, driven by local climatic conditions and global price trends. These decreases are beginning to influence sunflower seed valuations as well. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has emerged as the leading exporter of sunflower oil to Afghanistan in 2025, outpacing both Russia and Kazakhstan. This marks a strategic gain for Uzbekistan in the regional export landscape.
• Each country is navigating a distinct set of challenges and market pressures, shaped by weather patterns, production issues, and trade developments. These factors continue to define the outlook and stability of the global sunflower sector.