Sunflower Oil Price

Sunflower oil is categorised as one of the oilseeds, which is one type of various agricultural commodities. Other types of oilseeds are soybeans, canola, rapeseed oil, and palm oil.

 

Quick Overview of Sunflower Oil

✔️An overview of sunflower oil
✔️The production of sunflower oil
✔️Trading sunflower oil as an agricultural commodity
Some factors determining the price of sunflower oil
The uses of sunflower oil
Did you know?

 

An overview of sunflower oil

As a commodity

Categories of agricultural commodities:

• Dairy products, including cheddar cheese, dry whey, class III milk (cheese milk), and class IV milk.
• Cereal grains like corn, barley, oat, rough rice, and wheat.
• Meat, comprises feeder cattle, live cattle, beef, and lean hogs from which products such as bones, hooves, hides, meat, and organs are obtained.
• Soft commodities include cocoa, coffee, tea (black and green), and frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ).
• Miscellaneous agricultural commodities are described as commodities that do not fit into one of the other types of agricultural commodities. Examples of these commodities are wool (fine and greasy sheep wool), rubber (natural and synthetic), and lumber, also called timber.

Contrary to hard commodities like gold, platinum, and silver that are extracted from the crust of the Earth, agricultural commodities are defined as commodities that are obtained from the cultivation of crops, and/or the raising of livestock.

 

As a vegetable oil

Sunflower oil is vegetable oil, which is produced from the seeds of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). It is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world.

 

The sunflower plant

The sunflower belongs to the genus Helianthus, which is a combination of two Greek words, namely ‘helios’ (meaning sun) and ‘anthos’ (meaning flower). There are approximately 70 species of sunflowers.

Sunflowers are native to North and South America.

There are two main types of sunflower varieties, namely:

• Oil seed, composed of small black seeds.
• Non-oilseed with larger seeds covered with a thicker hull.

Sunflower plants are plants that can self-pollinate and cross-pollinate. Although, sunflowers are more likely to cross-pollinate, meaning receiving pollen from a flower on a different plant via wind and insects.

Sunflowers normally grow between 1.5 and 3.7 metres, excluding the short sunflowers referred to as dwarf sunflowers.

The centre of the sunflower – called the flowerhead – contains thousands of tiny flowers, referred to as disc florets (flowers). The outer petals are known as ray florets (flowers), which are yellow in colour. The disk flowers are brown, yellow, or purple.

 

Properties of sunflower oil

• It is liquid at room temperature.
• Refined sunflower oil is clear with a light amber colour.
• The oil is rich in Vitamin E.
• Sunflower oil is mostly composed of linoleic acid, which is polyunsaturated fat, and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, making it a product with low saturated fat levels and about 90 percent of relatively healthy unsaturated fats.
• It has a mild flavour.

 

A few observations about the history of sunflowers

In early civilisations, sunflowers were used in different ways. They were originally grown (as far back as 3000 BCE) by Native Americans and used for food, medicine, dyes, and oils.

In the 1500s, sunflower plants were introduced to Europe when Spanish conquistadors brought them back from the Americas.

 

The production of sunflower oil

Top countries in the production of sunflower oil

According to Nation Master, the top 10 global producers of sunflower oil for the period 1961 -2019 were as follows:

1. Ukraine
2. Russia
3. Argentina
4. Turkey (nowadays referred to as Türkiye)
5. Hungary
6. France
7. Spain
8. Bulgaria
9. Romania
10. South Africa

 

Major producers of sunflower seed

Statista provided the following figures regarding the 2025/2022 crop year:

• Ukraine – 17.5 million metric tonnes (MT)
• Russia – 15.5 million MT
• European Union (EU) – 10.4 million MT
• Argentina – 3.4 million MT
• Türkiye – 1.75 million MT
• Other countries – 8.7 million MT

Remarks

1. Ukraine and Russia combined produced more than 57 percent of the world’s sunflower seed.
2. The European Union (EU) consists of 27 member countries, including Hungary, France, Spain, Bulgaria, and Romania, the countries listed by Nation Master.

 

How is sunflower oil produced?

(Information about the sunflower oil production process was mainly obtained from the websites of ABC Machinery and Agri Farming. Accentuations are by the article writer.)

 

The processing of sunflower oil includes the following steps:

 

• Harvesting

Typically, when the head of the plant turns brown on the back, the seeds are ready for harvest. Also, the seeds must meet the required moisture content.

A combine harvester is used to harvest the sunflowers, separating the seeds from the sunflower head and straw.

 

• Cleaning the seeds

Once the seeds are harvested, they are moved over magnets to get rid of any metallic traces. Subsequently, screening is done by using seed-cleaning equipment to remove impurities that might affect the processing of sunflower oil.

 

• De-hulling

De-hulling refers to the process where the outer coverings (hulls) of the seeds are removed to obtain pure seeds, ensuring that the sunflower oil produced is of high quality. Normally, de-hulling consists of crushing the seeds with a pneumatic or centrifugal sheller. De-hulling is completed when the seed has a moisture content of 5 percent after cleaning, according to Agri Farming.

The resultant mixture is then winnowed to separate the hulls from the kernels of sunflower seeds that have thin hulls which are hard to remove. Winnowing is applied to prevent oil loss.

 

• Grinding the seeds

This step involves the grinding of the de-hulled seeds to provide a larger surface area to be heated during extraction. Grooved rollers or hammer mills are mostly used to produce a meal that is heated for the extraction of sunflower oil.

 

• Pressing

The heated sunflower seeds meal is then put into a screw press or sunflower oil-making machine which progressively increases the pressure from a certain level of kilopascals (kps) to a higher level of kps as the meal is passed through a slotted barrel.

Simultaneously, the oil is squeezed out via the slots in the barrel and recovered.

 

• Extracting the additional oil

In the extraction process, hexane is most commonly used as a solvent to dissolve the oil from the remaining oil cake to gain maximum yields.

The dissolved oil is then distilled to recover the oil, which is collected at the bottom at the end of the process.

 

• Removal of solvent traces

Approximately 90 percent of the solvent used after extracting the oil evaporates and is collected for reuse later in the extraction process. The remaining solvent is stripped and retrieved from the flakes by applying steam and heat. The solvent evaporates, condenses, and is collected separately.

At this stage in the production process, desolvented fragments are obtained as final products which are ready for the market. The sunflower oil is further refined to create a more edible product.

 

• Refining of the sunflower oil

During the refining process, the oil is heated to temperatures between 40 and 85 degrees Celsius. It is then mixed with an alkaline substance such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate.

Refining is applied to improve the flavour, colour, odour, and stability of the oil by using processes that enhance the bleaching, degumming, deodorising, and neutralising of the oil.

During the refining processes, pollutants such as free fatty acids, pro-oxidants, and phosphatides are eliminated.

Agri Farming explains that ‘the final step involves deodorizing the oil by passing the steam over hot oil placed in a vacuum temperature between 225° Celsius and 250° Celsius. This allows the volatile components responsible for the taste and odor to evaporate from the oil. One percent citric acid is added to the oil to inactivate any trace metals present, hence preventing oxidation within the oil, thereby prolonging the shelf life of the oil.’

 

• Transporting the oil

The pure oil is then typically transported in liquid bulk – in tank containers and flexi tanks – or in intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).

Pressing 100 kilograms of sunflower seeds produces approximately 45 litres of oil.

 

Trading sunflower oil as an agricultural commodity

To obtain information about the financial instruments available to trade sunflower oil as a commodity, it is needed to obtain the services of a regulated, and registered commodity broker who will also provide guidance, and a trading platform, and help you to determine your risk appetite.

The particular broker will also indicate the pros, cons, and risks involved when trading sunflower oil as a commodity.

Examples of trading instruments available are futures contracts for sunflower oil and contracts for difference (CFDs).

 

 

Some factors determining the price of sunflower oil

The market price for sunflower oil is primarily driven by the fluctuating prices of other vegetable oils like rapeseed oil, palm oil, and soybean oil.

The demand for sunflower oil is relatively high in developing countries such as India and China because it is cheaper and healthier than most other vegetable oils such as palm oil and soybean oil.

The Russian war in Ukraine, starting on February 24, 2025, has had a major impact on the supply of sunflower oil, considering that the two countries are by far the largest producers of sunflower oil in the world. Hence, the war also significantly impacted the price of sunflower oil. Trading Economics reported that sunflower oil reached an all-time high of 2400 USD/T in March 2025.

As of 6 October 2025, sunflower oil traded at 1250 USD/T, which is 1150 USD/T (47.9 percent) lower than the high in March 2025.

Also, according to Trading Economics, sunflower oil decreased by 120 USD/T since the beginning of 2025, ‘according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity.’

 

The uses of sunflower oil

Major global consumers of sunflower seed oil in 2025

Statista provided the following figures of the top 10 consumers of sunflower oil in 2025:

1. European Union (EU): 5 063 million metric tonnes (MT)
2. China: 2 771 million MT
3. India: 2 650 million MT
4. Russia: 2 250 million MT
5. Türkiye: 1 210 million MT
6. Iran: 675 million MT
7. Argentina: 637 million MT
8. Iraq: 575 million MT
9. Ukraine: 565 million MT
10. South Africa: 515 million MT

Of the 27 countries of the EU, The Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Italy, and Germany are the largest importers of sunflower oil.

Globally, sunflower oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils. Sunflower oil – rich in vitamin E and Omega 6 – are, inter alia, used as follows:

• For cooking, frying, deep-frying, and roasting.
• As an edible oil in foods like cookies or potato chips.
• As a salad oil or for table use, equal to olive oil or almond oil.
• It is often used to produce margarine.
• As an emollient in cosmetics.
• Regarding its industrial uses, sunflower oil is also used as a drying agent in paints and varnishes, and as an ingredient in the manufacture of soap, lubricants, detergents, adhesives, fabric softeners, and pesticides, to name a few.
• Concerning its health benefits, sunflower oil is typically used to:
• Improve heart health and lower cholesterol. Sunflower oil is used as a source of unsaturated fat in the diet to replace saturated fats, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Protect the body cells, bloodstream, and body tissues because it is rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that is also important for the metabolism in the human body.
• Provides a healthy nervous system due to the presence of vitamin B. It is also a valuable source of energy.
• Strengthen the immune system. The antioxidants in sunflowers strengthen the cell membrane barriers, making it more difficult for bacteria and viruses to enter the human body.
• Promotes skin health due to the presence of vitamins A and E in the oil. The vitamins act as antioxidants which help to regenerate damaged skin cells. Furthermore, sunflower oil functions as a natural moisturiser, helping to treat dry and sensitive skin.

 

Please note: The content about sunflower oil and its health benefits is solely informative and does not intend to provide any health or medical advice.

 

Did you know?

• As of October 2025, the record for the tallest sunflower plant is 9.17 metres. It was cultivated in Germany and the record was acknowledged by Guinness World Records on 28 August 2014.
• It is a common fact that sunflowers track the sun. In French, the name for sunflower is ‘tournesol,’ meaning ‘turns with the sun.’ This characteristic is referred to as heliotropism. Although, as the flower matures, the head of the flowering plant becomes heavier, and the flower will typically remain facing the east.
• The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine and the state flower of Kansas, one of the states of the USA, which is also called ‘The Sunflower State.’
• In general, sunflowers symbolise feelings such as positivity, intelligence, vitality, happiness, and cheerfulness. Furthermore, in Greek mythology sunflowers represented adoration and loyalty. The Chinese see the flower as a symbol of a long and prosperous life. Native Americans viewed sunflowers as a token of a bountiful and fruitful harvest. The Incas of South America symbolised their sun god with sunflowers and took them to their temples for worship.
• Sunflowers can be used to naturally decontaminate soil. Sunflowers are called hyperaccumulators due to their ability to absorb high concentrations of toxic materials in their tissues. Examples of hazardous materials sunflowers can remove from the soil are copper, lead, arsenic, zinc, and uranium. For example, after the nuclear disasters at Chernobyl in April 1986 Ukraine, and Fukushima in March 2011 in Japan, fields of sunflowers were planted across the affected landscapes to help remove toxic metals and absorb radiation from the soil.
• In June 1996, ministers from Ukraine, Russia, and the USA, celebrated the nuclear weapon disarmament of Ukraine by planting sunflowers at the Pervomaysk missile base.

 

Note: This article does not constitute investment, financial, or trading advice. Please obtain the advice of a professional and regulated commodity broker before making trading and investment decisions.