When the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency released its first round of data on certified crop acres for the 2025 growing season on Aug. 1, the numbers held a surprise for sunflowers: a 24% increase in acreage nationwide.

USDA's June acreage report had estimated that 998,000 acres of sunflowers — 881,000 acres of oil sunflowers and 117,000 of non-oil sunflowers — would be planted nationwide in 2025, with nearly half of that acreage in North Dakota.

John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association, said the FSA data released Aug. 1 showed that 1,242,473 acres actually were planted, with 1,146,830 acres of oil sunflowers and 95,643 acres of non-oil sunflowers.

Sandbakken said sunflower prices have remained strong and have even improved since last

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