Ukraine risks losing its leadership position in the global sunflower oil market due to a significant decline in the yield of this crop. According to analysts, in the current season, the aggressor country, Russia, has nearly matched Ukraine in sunflower oil export volumes, despite its own decrease in yield.
This is reported by Business • Media
Decline in Yields and Quality of Harvest
Experts emphasize that in the 2025 marketing year, Ukraine exported 4.73 million tons of sunflower oil, while Russia plans to supply 4.5 million tons to foreign markets. This gap is the smallest in recent years. Russia is particularly pushing Ukrainian oil out of the markets of China and India, which are key importers of this product.
Initial forecasts for this year’s sunflower harvest in Ukraine were set at 13.5 million tons. However, the actual results are significantly more modest: it is expected that farmers will collect only about 10 million tons, which is even less than last year’s figure (10.2 million tons). Additionally, the quality of the harvest has significantly decreased – this year’s oil content of the seeds is 48-50%, while last year it reached a record 50-52%.
Global Trends in the Oilseed Market
Globally, the demand for sunflower oil has been declining for several consecutive years. According to experts, competition from palm, soybean, and canola oils is intensifying in the world market, gradually pushing sunflower oil from its leading positions.
“Russia is also facing a decrease in sunflower yields, but this season it will export 4.5 million tons of oil abroad, which is nearly equal to Ukrainian exports.”