Monthly sales price of sunflower oil Europe 2016-2019
The sunflower and its products
The sunflower which, is not a native plant to Europe, was brought to the continent by the Spanish colonizers of the New World. Since its introduction, it has spread over the European continent. It can be cultivated at cooler temperatures and its seeds can be used for consumption or oil production. The oil is used for food preparation or as an ingredient in food products, for example margarines. Sunflower cake is a byproduct from the oil extraction and is commonly used as feed.
UK imports
The UK’s imports of sunflower oil amounted to roughly 300 thousand metric tons in 2017/18, which constitutes a large spike compared to earlier years. When we deduct non-EU imports, we can see that the spike in import volumes can be attributed to shipments from the EU. EU exports to the UK of sunflower cake also had a significant volume and amounted to around 170 thousand tons in 2017/2018. In the UK, sunflower oil is the second most popular oil used for cooking and salads.