A report released by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service shows that sunflower seeded acreage in the U.S. fell to an all-time low in 2024/25, half the size of the previous year's plantings, with most of the decline centered in the two largest producing states, North Dakota and South Dakota, due to the lower profitability of sunflower seeds compared to other oilseed crops, such as canola and soybeans.
  Sunflower seed ending stocks for 2023/24 increased to the highest level since 2016/17, causing sunflower seed prices to fall to the lowest in the past four or five years. In addition, expanded canola and soybean processing capacity in these states has created additional demand for these crops, leading to an increase in soybean and canola acreage and a decrease in sunflower acreage.
  USDA projects total U.S. sunflower seed production for the current year at 1.3 billion pounds (589,000 tons), the lowest level since 1976/77.