World sunflower crop in 2016/17 marketing year (runs from September to August) may become the record on the background of favorable situation with oil in the black sea countries, reported Bloomberg, citing data from industry analyst firm Sunseedman. It is estimated that the gross yield of sunflower could grow by 11% to 47.5 million tons in connection with the increased production of this crop in the major regions-producers of the culture of Russia and Ukraine. The July forecast of the U.S. Department of agriculture (USDA), an analytical service which is considered one of the most respected in the world 42.4 million tons (+0.2 million tonnes by June 2016).

In Ukraine, this year sunflower sown with a record of 6.1 million hectares in 2015 were 10% less), recalls the General Director of IKAR Dmitry Rylko: due to the drought and Njegoseva winter farmers planted more sunflowers. In Russia, some 7.5 million hectares against less than 7 million hectares a year earlier, he adds. Though in June, Rosstat estimated the area sown to sunflowerseed, 7 million hectares, said Director of the analytical center "Sovekon" Andrei Sizov. So, in the Rostov region sunflower employs 576 900 hectares - 9.3% higher than a year earlier, despite its limitations (no more than 15% of the acreage in the region, sunflower dilutes the soil), said the representative of the regional Ministry of agriculture. All spring the region is flooded by rains, and farmers did not have time to sow more early crops, he explained.

The agriculture Ministry expects the gross harvest of sunflower in the country at the level of 9.3 million tons (the average for the last five years), said the representative of the Department, under favorable weather conditions, the harvest may be higher by 5-6%. "Sovekon" Andrei Sizov, August 1, increased the forecast to 10.1 million tons. A good harvest is expected in the Kuban, in the Rostov and Belgorod regions - the weather is favourable, say representatives of the regional ministries of agriculture.

Analysts of "APK-inform forecast the gross harvest of sunflower in Ukraine at 13.1 million tons.

The USDA forecasts Russian production of sunflower is 9.5 million tons, in Ukraine - 13 million tons. In 2015, Russia harvested 9.3 million tons, according to Rosstat, Ukraine - 11.2 million tons (+10.2 per cent year-on-year).

The interest of the farmers for sunflower due to the greater profitability in comparison with other grain - an average of a few tens of percent, said A. Sizov. In addition, there is less risks of state regulation, the expert adds: in the grain market working mechanisms of regulation, such as export duties, purchase interventions, from-for what the grain market is less predictable.

Despite the fact that sunflower sown large areas and good harvest is expected, shortage of raw materials remains on the market power of Russian factories exceed the planned processing volumes of sunflower, says the Chairman of the Union of vegetable oils producers, the President of GC "Yug Rusi" Sergey Kislov. So now the domestic price of sunflower are relatively high - from 26 to 28 rubles/kg depending on the region, its significant reduction is not expected.