The Russia Ukraine conflict has shut down many ag exports in the Black Sea region and that includes sunflower oil which is driving U.S. prices into historically high levels.  National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken says the two countries combined account for 60-percent of world sunflower oil production and 76-percent of world exports.

He says the ability for Ukrainian farmers to plant a crop in 2022 is also in question.

As a result, Sandbakken says sunflower prices have pushed near record high levels for both old crop and new crop and have been running nearly $10 above the same time last year.    That will likely mean more acres planted in the U.S. this spring.

He says many snack food companies use sunflower oil and have already contacted him concerned about shortages.