Argentina's sunflower campaign opens with record exports and a 5.3% larger planted area

Argentina's sunflower complex has opened its 2026/27 campaign with a larger planted area and export revenue running at twice last year's level, according to the latest situation report from the Argentine Sunflower Association (ASAGIR), built on estimates by its economic adviser Jorge Ingaramo and published by tn.com.ar.

The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange (BCBA) puts national planting intentions at 3 million hectares, 5.3% above the previous campaign. As of 9 September, seeding covered 23.4% of that area, or some 701,000 hectares, a pace 5.1 percentage points ahead of the historical average for the date.

Seeding advances fastest in the north

Machinery is concentrated in the centre and north of the country. The NEA region leads with 94% of intended area planted, followed by north-central Santa Fe at 50%, where a shortage of rainfall has pushed fieldwork forward. North-central Cordoba stands at 8%, the Northern Core at 15% and central-eastern Entre Rios at 10%, while growers wait for the planting window to open in Buenos Aires and La Pampa.

Harvest forecasts diverge. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects Argentine sunflower seed output at 8 million tonnes, while the consultancy Oil World estimates 6.4 million tonnes, based on 3.12 million hectares and an average yield of 2.05 tonnes per hectare.

Crush and export revenue set records

Between January and July 2026, Argentine sunflower crush reached 3.42 million tonnes, an increase of 25.4% against the same period of 2025. The peak came in March, when monthly crushing hit a record 567,144 tonnes, absorbed by processing plants and port terminals in the centre of the country.

Export earnings followed. Figures from the Argentine Agro-industrial Council (CAA), based on data from the national statistics institute INDEC, show the sunflower complex shipped US$2,419.4 million between January and July 2026, an increase of 100.1% year on year. The crop accounted for 7.6% of total Argentine agro-industrial exports over the period.

Commercial flows confirm the pace. Records from the Secretariat of Agriculture show purchases of the 2025/26 crop totalling 5.177 million tonnes, 46% more than the previous cycle, while 231,800 tonnes have already been contracted against the new 2026/27 campaign.

Global supply rebuilds without breaking prices

The USDA expects world sunflower production to rise 15.4% to 63.55 million tonnes, driven mainly by production recoveries in Ukraine (+21.5%), Russia (+20%) and the European Union (+12.7%). Global crush is forecast 13.3% higher at 56.53 million tonnes, with world consumption of sunflower oil up 13%.

Despite the larger volumes, benchmark quotations remain firm across both oil and seed markets.

Reference prices

• Sunflower oil at Rotterdam (CIF): US$1,395 per tonne for September-October positions.
• BCBA FOB oil: US$1,306 per tonne for September, easing to US$1,225 for new-crop shipments in April-June 2027.
• Official FOB values set by the Secretariat of Agriculture: US$1,292 per tonne for September-October.
• Seed on the Rosario Board of Trade (BCR) spot market: 759,500 pesos per tonne, equivalent to US$506 at the BNA reference exchange rate.
• Seed at the Bahia Blanca and Quequen terminals: US$450 per tonne.
• Seed delivered to plants in San Lorenzo: US$500 per tonne.

With planting running ahead of the historical average and crushing capacity absorbing rising volumes, sunflower is consolidating its position in Argentina's crop rotation and in the country's trade balance, tn.com.ar reported.