The European Agency for the MARS crop monitoring has increased the forecast of productivity of sunflower in the EU to 2.01 t/ha (1.95 t/ha the previous forecast), which is much higher than the level of 2015. – 1.74 t/ha, and also above the five-year average values of 1.91 t/ha.

Experts report that weather conditions for sunflower sowing were favourable in Eastern Europe. Heavy precipitation in the Western European countries joined the reserves of productive moisture in the soil, but the North was difficult because of a waterlogged top layer.

Most favourable for sowing of sunflower was the first decade of may. Cool weather has a positive impact on crops in countries where there is a shortage of precipitation, as evaporation is less active.

Current estimates of European analysts Coceral, the harvest of sunflower in the EU countries in season 2016/17 will increase to 8.3 million tonnes (7.8 million tonnes in the current season) due to expansion of the areas top producers – Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary and France, as well as increasing the average yield of sunflower in comparison with last year's result.