Argentina may harvest 3.1-3.2 million tonnes of sunflower seeds in 2011, up from 2.6 million tonnes in 2010, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World forecast on Tuesday. The improved forecast followed better weather which has improved sunflower crop yields, it said. The larger Argentine crop will help relieve a tighter global sunseed supply outlook especially following a poorer crop in Russia.
Oil World has forecast the global 2010/11 sunseed crop will fall to 32.29 million tonnes from 32.80 million tonnes in 2009/10. In February, Oil World estimated key producer Russia's 2010/11 sunseed harvest will fall to 5.6 million tonnes from 6.6 million tonnes in the previous season because of drought in 2010.