Mixed News For Sunflower

VANCOUVER - Jan 20/06 - SNS -- International birdseed ingredient markets continue to face a tough time getting markets rolling, with prices for most products occupying a fairly narrow trading range at relatively low values.

This saw Canadian canaryseed slip U.S. 25 cent per 100 pounds (cwt) on the week to trade at U.S. $9 cwt for machine dressed product packed in bulk on and FOB shipping point basis. On the other hand, U.S. millet finished on a stronger note, and sunflower found it hard to get excited about problems with southern hemisphere crops.

Looking at the U.S. situation, Sun Prairie Grain's Jeremy Burkhart quipped, "The sunflower outlook does not look promising, with the (USDA) stock report showing there is an abundance of flowers in the country. Initially we anticipated the market to bounce back in a few months, but now it looks like longer than that before we see any strength back in the market."

By contrast, Argentine birdseed ingredient markets managed a solid finish on the week, with sunflower and popcorn prices rising in the face of falling harvest estimates.

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