Source: Oleoscope (Russia)
Turkey sunflower imports 2025/26 will reach a six-year high of 1 million tons, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s February report. Moreover, this figure represents an increase of +0.2 million tons from the previous estimate and +0.2 million tons year-on-year.
Turkey Sunflower Imports 2025/26: Adjusted Forecasts and Domestic Challenges
The USDA adjusted the forecast to reflect the current pace of raw material imports into the country. Furthermore, drought severely affected last summer’s harvest, which amounted to a 10-year low of 1.2-1.4 million tons.
Consequently, the country has switched to active purchases from abroad. However, these purchases focus on raw materials for processing rather than finished products due to their high cost in the Black Sea region.
EU Supply Surge and Regional Trade Shifts
According to the ministry’s data, EU countries sent more than 758,000 tons of sunflower seeds to Turkey in September-November 2025/26 MY. Additionally, this volume is 26 times higher than last year.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reduced its sales of sunflower oil to Turkey by almost 30% to less than 0.06 million tons in the first five months of the 2025/26 season. Similarly, exports from Russia to the region under review also fell during the same period, to 0.37 million tons (-15% compared to the same period last year).
Russia’s Continued Dominance in Sunflower Oil Supply
Russia remains the largest supplier of sunflower oil to Turkey. Specifically, according to OleoScope, deliveries to Turkey in the first four months of the 2025/2026 season amounted to 300,000 tons.