This is a logical decision, given that, according to the estimates of the Association of Grain Exporters Agrocereale, rapeseed sowing for the harvest-2025 in the Republic of Moldova has reached a record level – about 100 thousand hectares.
The unusual situation is that Floarea Soarelui SA stopped processing rapeseed about a decade and a half ago. At that time, the decision was motivated by the cost and technical complexity of operational changeover of the production lines of the enterprise from processing of one raw material (rapeseed) to processing of another raw material (sunflower) during one season. For this reason, the company even produced a small amount of rapeseed-sunflower blend oil.
Two years ago, due to the fact that Floarea Soarelui SA failed to overcome administrative restrictions (to obtain licenses in time) for import of cheap Ukrainian sunflower, the company was forced to go into a prolonged technical downtime.
In this situation, the resumption of the company’s work on alternative raw materials looks at least an interesting production and marketing decision.
The area of sunflower sowing this year (about 420 thousand hectares) also turned out to be at one of the highest levels in the last five-year period.
