Ukraine’s high-oleic sunflower market has yet to recover to its pre-war benchmarks. Although sown areas have expanded in recent years, this growth has been partially offset by unfavorable weather conditions and volatility in price premiums. This data was reported by Dengi.ua, citing information from the Grain Exchange.
According to estimates from "APK-Inform," exports of high-oleic sunflower oil for the 2025/26 marketing year may decrease by 8% compared to the previous season, totaling approximately 207,000 tons.
Significant changes are being observed in the structure of external supplies. The European Union, previously the dominant buyer of Ukrainian high-oleic oil, reduced its purchases by 22% to 84.3 thousand tons. Consequently, the EU's share in total Ukrainian exports dropped from 72% to 60%.
Conversely, several other nations have significantly increased their imports:
- Singapore: Increased purchases 30-fold.
- Malaysia: Rose by 82%, entering the top five importers.
- Canada: Increased by 53%.
- USA: Rose by 13%.
- Saudi Arabia: Increased imports by 47%, despite regional tensions in the Middle East.
Diversifying export geography and reducing reliance on a single market are viewed as critical factors for the segment's recovery in the coming years.
In the current season, the price premium for high-oleic sunflower reached 5,000 UAH per ton over conventional seeds, though it later retracted to 3,000 UAH/t due to softening demand.
The market faces additional pressure from the security situation in southern Ukraine, where Russian shelling of processing plants has forced a reduction in output. Many crushers are currently prioritizing conventional sunflower seeds, as prices for standard raw materials have surged in recent weeks due to supply shortages.
High-oleic sunflower in Ukraine is currently priced at approximately 34,000-35,000 UAH per ton (CPT-plant). For comparison, prices for conventional sunflower (with 48% oil content) have risen to 32,500-33,500 UAH/t. Despite the current volatility, the general scarcity of raw materials for the remainder of the 2025/26 marketing year may lead to a resurgence in demand for high-oleic sunflower toward the end of the season.
