Ukrainian sunflower oil exports show resilience this season despite an overall decline in volumes due to a smaller sunflower seed harvest.
The main driving force has been strong demand from India and Iraq, according to Kristina Serebryakova, CEO of ASAP Agri and broker at Atria Brokers.
From September to April 13, Ukraine supplied 519,000 tonnes of sunflower oil to India — more than double the volume during the same period last season (209,000 tonnes), according to official data.
“India remains a key buyer, but Ukraine is facing increasing competition from Russia. According to SEA Association data in India, Russia’s share of Indian sunflower oil imports reached 63% in the November–March period of the 2024/25 marketing year, compared to 36% a year earlier. Ukraine’s share rose to 23%, while Romania, previously a significant supplier, has completely disappeared from the market this season,” the expert noted.
At the same time, exports to Iraq increased ninefold year-on-year — reaching 176,000 tonnes, with a record 58,000 tonnes shipped between April 1–16 alone — the highest monthly volume ever.
