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Turkey recently announced that the tariff on imported sunflowerseed would increase from zero to 5 percent from October 27 through the end of 2022. This revision coincides with Turkey’s sunflowerseed harvest.

In MY 2022/23 Bulgaria expects to harvest a sunflower crop of 2-2.1 million metric tons (MMT), on par with the previous season. Despite optimistic expectations early in the season based on higher area planted and favorable weather, average yields have been affected by the summer drought and heat, along with higher pest infestation.

This report updates several sections of the European Union’s “Oilseeds and Products Annual” report released in April 2022. Updated sections include soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower. Increased areas of about 10 percent for all three major oilseeds but lower average yields for sunflower, and rapeseed are forecast to result in a total of about 3 percent higher production in MY 2022/23.

With favorable weather conditions and an expansion in the area harvested, Turkey’s sunflowerseed production is forecast to hit a record of 1.9 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2022/23. Production of sunflower meal and oil are likewise projected at record highs.

MY2022/23 is characterized by a small decrease in rapeseed production and an increase in imports of soybean meal and oil. Total United Kingdom (UK) rapeseed area in MY2022/23 is forecast to increase by 17 percent with an anticipated yield of 3Mt per hectare, slightly below the Defra five-year average of 3.3Mt per hectare.

Despite increased area, oilseed production in marketing year 2022/23 is forecast to show only a small increase due to lower average yields than in the previous marketing year. Like in other sectors, the Russian invasion of Ukraine significantly impacts the oilseeds market.

The 2021 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world.

On March 31, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved three genetically engineered (GE) crops (1 soybean, 1 rapeseed, and 1 cotton) and renewed the authorization for 1 cotton crop for food and feed imports. The three authorizations and one renewal were published in the European Union’s Official Journal on April 4 and 7, 2022, and they remain valid for 10 years.

A number of factors have converged over the last 18 months to send global agricultural commodity prices to near-record levels. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and the potential loss of Ukrainian exports – was the latest development to push commodity prices higher.

On March 17, the Serbian Government added refined sunflower edible oil to the list of grains and oilseeds that cannot be exported because of their importance to food security. In the same amendment the Serbian Government removed raw sunflower seed oil from the list that is now free for export.

Turkey’s production of major oilseeds – sunflowerseeds, cottonseeds, and soybeans – in MY 2022/23 is projected to rebound from the previous year as strong prices are expected to spur increased plantings.

Bulgarian farmers planted higher area under rapeseed in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 due to attractive and consistently increasing prices.