Following the launch of the UK’s first sunflower marketing pool last year, interest continues to grow in the crop’s potential due to its strong market returns, environmental benefits, and resilience in a changing climate.

That’s according to United Oilseeds’ sunflower project lead and trading manager, Nick Hobson, who says it was a mostly good first year for the sunflower marketing pool.

“Year one wasn’t without some challenges, but that was to be expected and should be with anything new. Some of the growers in the new marketing pool did better than expected, achieving well over 2t/ha, whereas some didn’t fare quite as well.

“But even those who didn’t do so well are looking to try again this year, seeing the benefits of this sunshine crop.”

Moisture levels

Nick believes the single biggest hurdle is moisture. “Sunflowers have to be dried down to 15% moisture which when harvesting relatively late, can be a challenge. As with any crop there are a range of pests that are partial to sunflowers, including slugs, pigeons and hares, but in the main, growers overcame these hurdles.”

According to Nick, the standout success was the final price. “We expected around £400/t but exceeded that figure by some way, proving the huge potential of the UK’s only sunflower marketing pool for the future.”

Vanessa Tagg of I M Tagg in Lincolnshire took part in the pool. She says sunflowers appear to be a good break crop aside from the late harvest. “Otherwise, they’re a low input crop with only pre-emergence herbicide, a little nutrition and pre-harvest desiccation.

“We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that stopped, walked in and admired the sunflowers and it was a real pleasure talking to the public about our new crop. Overall, we found growing sunflowers a really positive experience and the pictures and videos were lovely to share on our social media.”

Diversifying farm income

With the UK currently reliant on sunflower oil imports, domestic production offers a valuable opportunity to meet rising demand while diversifying farm income through multiple revenue streams, including oil production, birdseed, and edible seed markets, says Nick.

Beyond economic advantages, sunflowers also bring agronomic and environmental benefits that make them an attractive break crop. “Their deep-rooting system improves soil health, while their resilience to drought and low input requirements make them a practical option for farmers looking to future-proof their operations.”

As a pollinator-friendly crop, sunflowers also support biodiversity and align with sustainable farming incentives, including the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, he adds. “With growing industry momentum and dedicated marketing support from United Oilseeds, sunflowers could play a key role in strengthening UK arable farming.”

Marketing Pool

United Oilseeds’ sunflower marketing pool offers farmers a way to market their crop with default free produce of area contracts. Crops are moved at the buyer’s call from the end of harvest, with the option for immediate movement where storage agreements exist.

To support UK growers, the pool includes a choice of two seed varieties specifically trialed for UK conditions – ES Bella (Grainseed) and LG50268 (Limagrain). For growers looking to find out more visit: https://www.unitedoilseeds.co.uk/buy-your-seed/sunflowers