Turkey: Oilseeds and Products Update
MY 2016 sunflowerseed area and production are now estimated at 550,000 hectares and 1.2 million MT while planting area is up about ten percent, production was up about twenty percent due to higher yields. Sunflowerseed imports were down about thirty seven percent to 294,000 MT during the first eleven months of the marketing year, due to increase in imports of alternative lower cost oilseeds such as canola and aspir (safflower) and also increasing crushing capacities at sourcing countries. Sun meal imports were 750,000 MT, the same as last year, despite the significant increases in imports of alternative products such as DDGS and CGFP. Sun oil imports declined about fifteen percent to 654,000 MT during the same period due to difficulties in exports to neighboring countries because of the political turmoil in the export destinations.