Sunflower Output Seen Up 21%
WASHINGTON - Oct 10/14 - SNS -- This year's sunflower crop is expected to total 2.45 billion pounds, up 21% from 2013, according to the USDA's latest crop report. Oil and confection numbers were combined for this report.
Area planted, at 1.57 million acres, is down 8% from the June estimate and is down fractionally from last year.
Sunflower growers expect to harvest 1.51 million acres, down 7% from June but up 2% from the 2013 acreage. Despite the increase from last year, harvested area for the Nation is expected to be the third lowest since 1976. The October yield forecast, at 1,626 pounds per acre, is 248 pounds higher than last year's yield.
As of October 1, higher yields are expected in 7 of the 9 published States compared with last year, with only California and Minnesota expecting a decline in average yields.
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