Source: Oleoscope (Russia)
Sunflower exports from the Republic of Moldova in the current season reached 334 thousand tons, which shows a serious increase compared to 221 thousand tons last season and 154.5 thousand tons in the 2022/23 season.
Despite the large export volumes, agro-market expert Iurie Rija, in an interview with Agtoexpert.md, says that this trend indicates a worrying situation: the domestic processing of sunflower seeds into oil within the Republic is degrading, which negatively affects the local processing industry and the value added created within the country. Instead of capitalizing the potential of the processing industry, Moldova is becoming increasingly dependent on external markets, where sunflower is sold as raw material at prices below the value of processed products.
In the current season, the average price of exported sunflower is higher than last season, but remains below the level of the 2021/2022 season, the agency notes. However, the average price for January 2025 at 12.15 lei/kg ($650/ton) is the highest in the last five years, signaling opportunities for sellers. A notable aspect is also the sharp increase in exports in January 2025, which reached 40,300 tons between January 1 and 24, up from 30,700 tons in January 2024 and just 10,000 tons in January 2023.
“In today’s context, it is important that farmers and processors work together to create effective value chains that maximize mutual profits,” – says the expert.
Earlier it became known that oil extraction plants in Ukraine reduced processing of sunflower, and the largest processor was forced to stop processing due to a shortage of raw materials.
