Argentina’s sunflower crop hits record, driving multibillion-dollar exports

Argentina’s 2025/26 sunflower crop made history by setting simultaneous records for planted area, average yield and total production. Data released by the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange show a sharp expansion of the crop, consolidating the country’s position as one of the main global players in the market for sunflower oil and derivatives.

The historic performance was driven by an expansion in planted area, favorable weather conditions in strategic regions and above-average yields across much of the crop area.

Planted area rises nearly 30% in Argentina

According to the Argentine exchange, sunflower planted area reached 2.85 million hectares in the 2025/26 season, surpassing the previous record by 5.6%. That mark had been set in the 2007/08 crop year, when sunflower covered 2.7 million hectares.

Compared with the previous cycle, the expansion was even more pronounced, at 29.5%.

The main increase occurred in Argentina’s Northeast region, where planted area surged 224%. There was also significant growth in the provinces of Córdoba and north-central Santa Fe, reinforcing the oilseed’s expansion in the country.

Weather conditions supported crop development

The crop cycle was marked by good water availability in northern and western Argentina, a factor that supported plant development and high yield potential.

In parts of the country’s central-east and southeast, however, water deficits recorded between January and February led to greater variation in crop yields.

Even so, average results remained close to or slightly above historical standards, ensuring the crop’s strongest performance ever recorded in the country.

Yields and production also break records

The national average yield was estimated at 23.6 quintals per hectare, surpassing the previous record of 23.4 quintals per hectare set in the 2024/25 season.

As a result, Argentina’s total sunflower production reached a historic 6.6 million tonnes. The volume represents a 32% increase from the previous record of 5 million tonnes and growth of 60.2% compared with the average of the past five crop seasons.

The result further strengthens Argentina’s position in the international sunflower oil market, a segment in which the country holds a strategic share of global exports.

Sunflower complex expected to move more than US$3.3 billion

The increase in production is also expected to significantly expand the economic weight of the sunflower chain in Argentina’s economy throughout 2026.

Estimates indicate that the complex’s gross product should grow 53% from the previous season, reaching about US$3.304 billion.

Tax revenue linked to the sector could reach US$757 million, while exports are expected to total approximately US$2.491 billion.

The projected increase in foreign sales represents a gain of US$819 million from the previous cycle, reflecting strong international demand for sunflower oil and its derivatives.

International market tracks production growth

The growth in Argentina’s crop comes at a time of global attention to the vegetable oils market, especially amid climate volatility in key producing regions and swings in international agricultural commodity prices.

With greater supply available, Argentina is likely to increase its competitiveness in sunflower oil exports, with potential effects on global trade flows and international price dynamics in the coming months.

Source: Portal do Agronegócio

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