The sunflower harvest is ahead of normal in the Dakotas with 69-percent of the crop harvested in South Dakota and 70-percent in North Dakota. National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken says the yields reported in both states are also very good.

Sandbakken says the oil content is also running higher than a year ago and growers are already seeing the benefits.

He says although oil prices are down slightly from a year ago, they expect more acres of sunflowers to be planted in the spring of 2016.

South Dakota and North Dakota are the two top sunflower producing states in the nation.