The problem, once again, is the drought. In the second half of July and throughout August, when sunflower seeds form, Moldova experienced dry and hot weather. As a result, the seeds turned out to be small on average, with low fat and protein content. With only a few weeks remaining before the start of the harvest season for second-group field crops, rainfall will no longer significantly improve the quality parameters of the sunflower seeds. Moreover, prolonged rains could reduce the harvest yield.
At the same time, as noted by Iurie Rija, director of the “Agrocereale” Association of Grain and Oilseed Exporters, contracts for sunflower exports specify quality indicators for this raw material; depending on these indicators, both surcharges and deductions may apply. Specifically, a 1% decrease in the actual oil content (compared to the baseline level) of sunflower seeds in commercial shipments may result in a price reduction for those shipments (compared to the contractual level) of $5 per metric ton.
This factor adds to a number of other factors that, by all accounts, will strictly shape the oilseed market in the 2026/27 season.
At yesterday’s meeting of the “Oilseeds and Processed Products” commodity line council at the Ministry of Agriculture, its participants—farmers, processors, traders, and officials from ministries and agencies—agreed that Moldova’s 2026 rapeseed harvest amounted to approximately 300,000 metric tons, while the sunflower harvest is expected to reach 900,000 metric tons.
