According to the latest data, the main regions that produce the largest volumes of this crop have not yet started the sowing campaign due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Currently, according to available statistics, sunflowers have been sown across the country on an area of approximately 1.2 million hectares. This is only 10% of the total planned sowing volume.
Therefore, we can say that the sowing campaign is far from complete. Moreover, it should be noted that it is significantly behind last year’s pace and the annual average.
The main reason for this delay is the cold and rainy weather that settled over a significant portion of the country in April.
The North Caucasus Federal District was a fortunate exception. According to experts, it is practically the only region where weather conditions have been favorable, allowing the sowing campaign there to proceed as normal.
Moreover, we’re even seeing positive trends: as of today, 3% more sunflower seeds have been sown in this district than the same date a year earlier.
As for the Krasnodar Krai, one of the leading sunflower producers, the sowing campaign there is 82% complete, which can be considered a very good result.
In the Stavropol Krai, approximately 60% of the planned sunflower seeding volume has been sown, in Chechnya – 69%, and in the Kherson Oblast – 59%. These regions can be considered generally successful in terms of sunflower sowing progress.
However, a number of other regions are experiencing significant problems. For example, in the Rostov Oblast, approximately 17% of the sunflower seeding volume has been sown, in the Voronezh Oblast – 9%, and in the Kursk Oblast – 8%.
It’s also worth noting that the most important sunflower-growing regions, namely the Central Federal District and the Volga region, have barely begun sowing this crop.
According to the latest data, no more than 5% of the projected sunflower area has been sown in the Central Federal District, which is a significant lag.
At the same time, analysts warn that after a cold April, above-normal precipitation is expected in early May, which will hinder equipment from reaching the fields. This means that sowing will proceed unevenly, with pauses between short weather windows.
However, with warmer weather in the second half of the month, the pace of work will increase sharply, and the bulk of sowing will occur between May 10 and 25.
Thus, the lag will be partially compensated, but due to uneven weather conditions, some areas will be sown later.
