United Oilseeds is encouraging farmers to explore sunflowers as a profitable and environmentally beneficial addition to their rotations. Following the successful launch of the UK’s first-ever sunflower marketing pool last year, interest in the crop is growing as farmers recognize its potential for strong market returns, sustainability benefits, and resilience in a changing climate.
A Strong First Year Despite Challenges
Reflecting on the first year of the sunflower marketing pool, Nick Hobson, United Oilseeds' sunflower project lead and trading manager, acknowledged both successes and learning experiences. “The first year came with some expected challenges, but many growers saw excellent results, with some achieving yields well over 2 t/ha,” he said. “Even those who faced difficulties are keen to try again, having seen the benefits of growing sunflowers.”
One of the main challenges was moisture content. Sunflowers need to be dried to 15% moisture, which can be tricky with a late harvest. Pests such as slugs, pigeons, and hares also posed some difficulties, but most growers successfully managed these issues.
Encouraging Market Returns
The biggest success of the sunflower pool was the final price, exceeding initial expectations of £400 per tonne. This highlights the strong market potential for UK-grown sunflowers and reinforces the long-term viability of the marketing pool.
First-Hand Grower Experiences
Vanessa Tagg of I M Tagg, Lincolnshire, shared her experience as part of the pool: “Sunflowers seem to be a good break crop despite the late harvest, and we’re adjusting by sowing earlier this year. They require minimal inputs—just a pre-emergence herbicide, some nutrition, and pre-harvest desiccation.”
She also noted the public interest in the crop: “We were surprised by the number of people who stopped to admire the sunflowers. It was great to engage with them and share our experience. Growing sunflowers has been really positive, and we loved sharing photos and videos on social media.”
Why Sunflowers Make Sense for UK Farming
The UK currently relies heavily on sunflower oil imports, but domestic production presents an opportunity to meet growing demand while offering farmers a diversified income stream. Beyond oil production, sunflowers provide revenue opportunities through the birdseed and edible seed markets.
From an agronomic perspective, sunflowers bring several advantages. Their deep-rooting system enhances soil health, while their resilience to drought and minimal input requirements make them an attractive option for future-proofing farm operations. As a pollinator-friendly crop, sunflowers also contribute to biodiversity and align with sustainable farming incentives such as the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes.
Join the United Oilseeds Sunflower Pool
United Oilseeds’ sunflower marketing pool simplifies the selling process for growers, offering area contracts with default-free produce. Crops are moved at the buyer’s call from the end of harvest, with immediate movement available where storage agreements exist.
To support UK farmers, the pool includes two seed varieties tailored for UK conditions: ES Bella from Grainseed and LG50268 from Limagrain, both delivering strong performance.
For more information and the latest sunflower growing guide, visit: United Oilseeds Sunflower Page.