The 2021 sunflower harvest has wrapped up and growers are looking ahead to the 2022 growing season with optimism, in part due to the strong demand for veg oil. National Sunflower Association Executive Director John Sandbakken says yields averaged 1600 pounds per acre due to the drought but that was somewhat offset by the quality of the crop.

He says with the strong global demand for vegetable oil the industry could see more acres next year.

The 2022 growing season will also bring a welcome change to how sunflowers are insured as USDA’s Risk Management Agency announced it will allow sunflower enterprise units to be insured by type.

Sandbakken says this insurance change will strengthen coverage options and increase consistency, clarity, and flexibility, making crop insurance a better risk management tool for sunflower producers.