How does the cost of production compare with corn and soybeans?
The cost of growing sunflower would be slightly more than soybeans, but less than corn. As a rule of thumb, consider the cost to be the same as you would have for soybeans plus about $15.00 per acre for nitrogen (100 pounds at 15 cents) plus the amortized cost of a sunhead. 28. What does the future look like for sunflower? Sunflower produces a valuable product, and sunflower production for both export and domestic use has expanded rapidly in the U.S. in the last decade. Production has been concentrated in the northern areas where sunflower has a relative advantage and alternate crops such as corn, soybeans, and winter wheat are less attractive. Whether sunflower can successfully compete in Corn Belt areas such as Indiana must still be determined. There is no other crop in the U.S. that produces as many pounds of oil per acre as sunflower. The oil is the most valuable part of the sunflower: it normally sells for a premium of 2-8 cents per pound over soybean oil. Thus, profitability and
