The sunflower harvest is progressing at or ahead of the five-year average in the Dakotas. South Dakota is 10-percent ahead of the 63-percent average harvest pace, with North Dakota right in line with the average. National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken says the sunflowers have been drying down well and growers have been able to get the crop out without any issues.
He says the quality has been good with an average of 44-percent oil in the Northern Plains. Sunflower yields have generally been positive, but vary greatly in both South and North Dakota.
Sandbakken says farmers haven’t had to deal with any major disease problems with the sunflower crop this year.
Sandbakken says combined both Dakotas had about 1.2 million acres seeded to sunflowers this year. He expects South and North Dakota to again lead the nation in sunflower production once harvest is completed.
