Market Overview
The Sunflower Meal Market is forecasted to reach at a CAGR of 6.12% during the forecast period (2026-2033).
Sunflower meal is a byproduct made after the extraction of sunflower oil. Many products are available in the market, from straw-like meals to flour. Sunflower meals are made from whole or decorticated seeds and are solvent-extracted. The quality of sunflower meal depends on the plant characteristics like seed composition, hulls/kernel ratio, dehulling potential, growth and storage conditions. Sunflower meal offers protein and fiber to the animals. Russia and Ukraine are the two major producers and exporters of sunflower meals. The EU is also a major importer of sunflower meals. Sunflower meal is ideal for ruminants and monogastric herbivores. The high nutritional aspect of sunflower has led to sunflower meals being the meal of choice for livestock feeds. The growing animal feed industry drives sunflower meal market growth.
Market Scope
| Metrics | Details |
| Market CAGR | 6.12% |
| Segments Covered | By Form, By End-User, By Source, and By Region |
| Report Insights Covered | Competitive Landscape Analysis, Company Profile Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Demand, Recent Developments, Mergers and acquisitions, New Product Launches, Growth Strategies, Revenue Analysis, and Other key insights. |
| Fastest Growing Region | Asia Pacific |
| Largest Market Share | Europe |
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Market Dynamics
The high nutritional value of the sunflower meal and increased consumption benefits awareness drive market growth
Sunflower meal is a rich source of protein. Protein quality and quantity are the primary consideration in animal nutrition for using particular feedstuff. The crude protein value of extracted sunflower meal ranges from 32% to 37%. The protein digestibility of the sunflower meal is around 82%. Sunflower meal is rich in tryptophan, arginine, and especially methionine but low in lysine. Sunflower meal is a rich source of Vitamin A. Sunflower meal is rich in macronutrients essential for animal growth. Sunflower meal protein is more degradable than other seed meals such as soya bean, or rapeseed meal, making it the best contender for animal feed. Apart from the higher bioavailability of protein, sunflower meal is also devoid of any anti-nutritional factors, and hence is considered safe for all species and is not of limited use. Sunflower meal is high in fat content, making it an ideal feed for dairy cows since farmers, more often than not, supplement the fat externally to improve the quality of milk obtained from the cows.
Moreover, the growing livestock industry and animal feed industry support the growth of the sunflower meal market. Global demand for milk, meat, and poultry is increasing to fulfill the demand feed industry is also growing. Sunflower meals play an important role in the feed industry; therefore, the growth of the compound feed market is proportional to the growth of the compound feed industry. As the population of the livestock industry increased, demand for animal feed (sunflower meal) increased.
Market Segmentation Analysis
Ruminants segment accounted for the highest share in global sunflower meal market
Sunflower meal is a protein supplement in the ruminant feed. Protein from sunflower meal was equivalent to soybean meal for lactating cows. Sunflower milk helps to increase milk production in lactating animals. Sunflower meal had a more desirable amino acid balance than cows-fed soybean meal. The high oil content sunflower meal is an excellent feed source for ruminants. The high-fat sunflower meal eliminates the need for some or all of the fat supplements requirements. Supply of the high-fat content sunflower meal is limited. Sunflower meal is also well utilized in young calves and growing heifers. Weight gains and feed consumption were similar for calves and heifers fed sunflower or soybean meals.
The sunflower meal pellet segment held the largest market share by form due to its high nutritional value and easy handling. De-hulled sunflower pellets contain 36% crude protein, while sunflower meal with hulls contains 26-28% crude protein. This product is obtained by grinding the residue from oil extraction from the sunflower seed. To facilitate handling and transportation, the meal is pelletized. The color of sunflower meal varies from grey to black and depends on the degree of de-hulling and oil extraction method. Sunflower pellets are rich in Sulphur amino acids and are more degradable than those other oil meals, which readily facilitates microbial synthesis.
Market Geographical Share
Europe is the dominating region during the forecast period
According to oil world data, sunflower meals to Europe exceeded expectations at an estimated 600-650 thousand tons. Imports from Argentina were boosted to a multi-year high of 230-250 thousand tons in April-June, up 50% from a year earlier. Ukraine and Russia are the world’s largest producers of sunflower seeds and exporters of sunflower oil. Most of the European demand for sunflower seeds comes from Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Romania and France. Bulgaria has a steady and expanding crushing capacity, with domestic production, favorable imports and increasing exports driving investments.
Key Developments
- May 2026: Time-Travelling Milkman and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland launched the Sunflopro project to convert sunflower-processing side streams into high-value protein ingredients. The initiative focuses on valorizing sunflower meal and residual biomass through advanced protein extraction technologies, supporting circular economy goals and sustainable feed and food applications.
- March 2026: Global sunflower protein ingredient developers accelerated commercialization of sunflower protein concentrates derived from defatted sunflower meal, supported by improvements in enzyme-assisted extraction and filtration technologies. Manufacturers highlighted cleaner-label, non-GMO protein solutions for food and feed industries, improving the value proposition of sunflower meal beyond conventional animal nutrition.
- January 2026: Research institutions and feed technology developers reported advances in cold-pressed sunflower meal processing, demonstrating improved preservation of native proteins and enhanced digestibility compared with conventional solvent-extracted meal. The development supports higher-value feed formulations and improved nutrient utilization across livestock sectors.
- November 2025: Feed manufacturers expanded R&D efforts focused on high-protein dehulled sunflower meal formulations aimed at replacing a larger share of soybean meal in poultry and livestock diets. Ongoing innovations centered on amino-acid balancing, protein enrichment, and improved feed-conversion efficiency to meet growing global demand for alternative plant proteins.
Market Companies
There are several established participants in the industry and local manufacturers; hence, the market is fragmented. Some major market players are Cargill Inc., Colorado Mills, Bunge, Glencore Agriculture, Kernel, Mironivsky Hilboproduct, Optimus Agro, Vioil Industrial Group, Archer Daniels Midland, and Avril, among others. Some major companies follow merger and acquisition strategies to expand their business. Cargill Inc. acquired an oil refinery at Kpatnam port with an investment of $ 35 million, including the acquisition and upgradation of the refinery. Kernel acquired an interest in ViOil Holding Ltd, which operates two multi-seed oil extraction plants with a crushing capacity of 1.1M tonnes/year. The ViOil industrial group processes sunflower seed, rapeseed, soybean and flaxseed into oil and meal. It also provides storage and marketing services for oilseeds and grain crops, exporting its products to more than 60 countries, including CIS, EU and Southeast Asian states. Some of the major companies expand their business due to increased product demand. Avrils expanded sunflower crushing to reduce import dependency. Russia and Europe accounted for about 80% of global exports of sunflower oil. The aim is to become more independent regarding sunflower oil and oilseed meal.
The global sunflower meal market report would provide an access to approximately 61 market data tables, 51 figures and 170 pages.
