To look ahead to the future of the sunflower industry and to understand some of the dynamics which are going to shape the future it is important to review the past couple of decades in the Oilseed Industry in Australia.
When I first joined the Oilseed industry in 1987 sunflower was King of the Australian Oilseed Industry, Meadow Lea and Unilever were dominating the margarine/spread market with the sunflower oil based margarines as the new way, to a lower saturated fat lifestyle. Meadow Lea ran the Sunflower Awards with lavish presentations under marquees on the winner’s farm. Commercial production of High Oleic Sunflower varieties were still 10 years away.
Around this time Australia’s first black leg resistant, low erucic acid rapeseed varieties were being released from the NSW Dept Agriculture and grown successfully in Southern NSW and Victoria.
This new Canola quality oil was being watched carefully by Meadow Lea, and within 5 short years Sunflower oil had abdicated to Canola as the new King.
The oilseed processing industry duly followed the new King South.