Expanding market for UK sunflowers as growers chase £450/t

The UK currently imports roughly 60,000t of sunflower seeds each year, according to trade estimates, creating a significant opportunity for UK growers.

Sunflowers have traditionally been a small crop in the UK, with fertiliser specialists Yara, estimating the harvest area at just 600ha; however, a warming climate is making it increasingly suited to sunflowers.

Varieties, such as ES Bella, have flourished in northern regions of France for many years and are now proving equally successful across south and central England.

See also: Could sunflowers fill the cropping gap this spring?

Nick Hobson, trading manager at United Oilseeds told Farmers Weekly that the UK could grow 30,000ha of sunflowers in the future just to fill domestic demand for birdseed, and the market could grow even more.

Sunflowers for crushing trade roughly in line with oilseed rape values in Europe.

United Oilseeds opened the first UK marketing pool for sunflowers last year and it is anticipating a return in the region of £450/t for growers.

Mr Hobson said: “The standout success of the new sunflower pool was the final price.

“We expected around £400/t, but we exceeded that figure by some way, proving the huge potential of the UK’s only sunflower marketing pool for the future.”

Sunflower crops typically yield between 1.6t/ha and 3t/ha, although it can achieve up to 4t/ha.

Lincolnshire grower, Vanessa Tagg of I M Tagg, said: “It would appear a good break crop to grow aside from the late harvest, but we are planning on adapting this year by sowing earlier.

“They are a low-input crop with only pre-emergence herbicide, a little nutrition and pre-harvest desiccation.”

Sunflowers were also eligible for payments of £45/ha through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) related to CIPM4 actions, however this may now be in jeopardy after Defra halted new SFI applications on 11 March.

Neil Groom, general manager at Grainseed said: “We’ve been selling grain sunflower seed for many years, and we’ve been watching the potential growing area in the UK increase year on year.

“Not only is the climate providing opportunities for growing sunflowers further North, but as farming practices evolve, this too supports the case.”