Argentina Overtakes Ukraine in India’s Sunflower Oil Market

This was reported by Grain Trade.

According to USDA data, Argentina’s share of global sunflower oil exports increased from 7% in the 2016/17 marketing year to 10% in 2024/25, and could reach 13% in 2026/27. For comparison, Ukraine’s share is estimated at 33%, while russia accounts for 31%.

The changes have become especially noticeable on the Indian market. A decade ago, Ukraine was effectively the dominant supplier of sunflower oil to India, but its position weakened significantly after the start of the full-scale war.

Between September and April of the 2025/26 marketing year, Argentina exported a record 530 thousand tonnes of sunflower oil to India, while Ukraine supplied only 344 thousand tonnes.

At the same time, russia also strengthened its position in the Indian market, increasing exports from 451 thousand tonnes in 2021/22 to 1.66 million tonnes in 2023/24.Analysts note that Argentina is actively benefiting from favorable market conditions. In particular, the government reduced export duties on sunflower seeds and processed sunflower products, stimulating expansion of planted areas and growth in processing volumes.

In the 2025/26 marketing year, sunflower production in Argentina increased to 7 million tonnes compared to 5.6 million tonnes a year earlier, and could reach 8 million tonnes in 2026/27.

Sunflower processing volumes are also growing — from 4.8 million tonnes in the previous season to 5.5 million tonnes in 2025/26. In the next marketing year, processing could exceed 6 million tonnes.

Currently, Argentina has 17 sunflower processing plants in operation, while another 11 facilities can technically switch to sunflower processing. Total processing capacity is estimated at 6.6 million tonnes annually.