In 2022, the global trade in sunflower seeds reached a total value of US$6.76 billion. This marks a substantial increase of 64.6% from 2018, when the exports were valued at $4.1 billion. The year 2022 alone saw a 43.7% rise in export revenues, reflecting the growing popularity of this versatile snack, which can be consumed raw or roasted, salted, or flavored with various seasonings like barbecue, pickle, and ranch.

Sunflower plants, Ukraine's national flower, are predominantly produced in Ukraine and Russia, which together account for about 55% of global sunflower seed production. However, these two countries contributed only 20.4% of the worldwide export revenues from sunflower seeds.

Commercially, sunflower seeds are categorized into two main types based on the color of their husks. Seeds with solid black husks are typically used for oil extraction, while those with black-and-white striped husks are often consumed as snacks, sometimes called confectionary sunflower seeds. Additionally, sunflower seeds are used as garnishes, in salads, and even sprouted. Dehulled seed kernels find their way into baked goods and hard sugar candies. Sunflower butter, a popular alternative to peanut butter, caters to those with nut allergies. Sunflower seeds also serve as pet food or feed for wild birds and small animals.

Major International Suppliers of Sunflower Seeds in 2023

1. VITERRA B V - 11.75%, $822.11 Million

2. GITC PTE LTD - 11.31%, $790.8 Million

3. AVERE COMMODITIES SA - 9.62%, $673.02 Million

4. COFCO RESOURCES SA - 5.48%, $383.12 Million

5. GREEN SUPPLIERS FOOD TRADING LLC - 4.91%, $343.31 Million

6. TOI COMMODITIES SA - 3.96%, $276.69 Million

7. TRADE AGRO UNION SA - 3.49%, $244.21 Million

8. CARGILL INTERNATIONAL SA - 2.71%, $189.24 Million

9. BUNGE SA - 2.63%, $183.91 Million

10. GREEN SUPPLIERS FOODS TRADING LLC - 2.56%, $179.2 Million

Largest Buyers of Imported Sunflower Seeds in 2023

1. GEMINI EDIBLES AND FATS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED - 14.52%, $1015.3 Million

2. KALEESUWARI REFINERY PRIVATE LIMITED - 10.61%, $741.99 Million

3. ADANI WILMAR LIMITED - 7.64%, $534.24 Million

4. MK AGROTECH PRIVATE LIMITED - 5.56%, $389.08 Million

5. RUCHI SOYA INDUSTRIES LTD - 4.14%, $289.23 Million

6. KTV HEALTH FOOD PVT LTD - 3.7%, $259.13 Million

7. GOKUL AGRO RESOURCES LIMITED - 3.5%, $245.06 Million

8. FRIGORIFICO ALLANA PRIVATE LIMITED - 3.32%, $232.08 Million

9. LOHIYA EDIBLE OILS PVT LTD - 3.15%, $220.43 Million

10. PARAKH FOODS AND OILS LIMITED - 2.9%, $202.54 Million

Leading Countries in Sunflower Seed Exports

Here are the top 20 countries by the highest value of sunflower seed exports in 2022:

1. Ukraine: US$1.3 billion (18.7% of global exports)

2. Romania: $1.2 billion (17.2%)

3. Bulgaria: $725 million (10.7%)

4. China: $679.2 million (10%)

5. France: $674.9 million (10%)

6. Moldova: $336.4 million (5%)

7. Hungary: $242.4 million (3.6%)

8. Turkey: $228 million (3.4%)

9. United States: $190.6 million (2.8%)

10. Kazakhstan: $171.7 million (2.5%)

11. Austria: $165.7 million (2.5%)

12. Slovakia: $130.6 million (1.9%)

13. Russia: $114.4 million (1.7%)

14. Argentina: $79.7 million (1.2%)

15. Netherlands: $71.4 million (1.1%)

16. Spain: $70.5 million (1%)

17. Serbia: $63 million (0.9%)

18. Poland: $59.8 million (0.9%)

19. Croatia: $53.7 million (0.8%)

20. Italy: $53.2 million (0.8%)

These 20 countries accounted for 96.7% of the global sunflower seed exports in 2022. Among the fastest-growing exporters were Moldova (up 70.9%), France (up 33.6%), Slovakia (up 29.7%), and Croatia (up 26.6%). In contrast, Spain, the United States, and Hungary saw declines in their export sales.

Leading Countries in Sunflower Seed Imports

Global spending on imported sunflower seeds saw an 82.5% increase over five years from 2018, with a 49.3% year-over-year rise since 2021. The top 20 sunflower seed importing countries in 2022 were:

1. Bulgaria: US$1 billion (13.5% of global imports)

2. Turkey: $647.7 million (8.6%)

3. Netherlands: $539.7 million (7.2%)

4. Romania: $538.1 million (7.2%)

5. Hungary: $537.3 million (7.2%)

6. Spain: $507.4 million (6.8%)

7. Germany: $339.2 million (4.5%)

8. Russia: $274.5 million (3.7%)

9. Portugal: $236.9 million (3.2%)

10. France: $230 million (3.1%)

11. Ukraine: $212 million (2.8%)

12. Austria: $209.2 million (2.8%)

13. United States: $181.8 million (2.4%)

14. Italy: $153.8 million (2%)

15. Czech Republic: $138.5 million (1.8%)

16. Kazakhstan: $120 million (1.6%)

17. China: $117.6 million (1.6%)

18. Belgium: $104 million (1.4%)

19. Moldova: $103.3 million (1.4%)

20. Iraq: $97.2 million (1.3%)

These countries collectively bought 83.9% of global sunflower seed imports in 2022. The fastest-growing importers were Hungary (up 173.3%), Bulgaria (up 157.8%), Moldova (up 157.5%), Kazakhstan (up 153.3%), and Portugal (up 105.4%). Conversely, Ukraine and Russia experienced declines in their sunflower seed imports.

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