The Price Forecasting Scheme at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has advised farmers to take appropriate decision on selling sunflower seeds as its prices will hover around Rs.3,200 to Rs.3,300 per quintal till November.

The scheme analysed sunflower seed prices that prevailed in Vellakovil regulated market for the last 16 years and arrived at the conclusion and come out with an advisory to sell upon harvest.

Sunflower is one of the important oil seed crops in India, which was sown in an area of 5.5 lakh hectares with the production of 3.2 lakh ton during 2015-16.

In Tamil Nadu, sunflower was cultivated in an area of 9,000 hectares with the production of 13,000 tonnes during 2014-15, the major districts being Thoothukudi, Dindigul, Karur, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Tiruchi.

Though sunflower seeds are mainly used for oil extraction, they are also edible and used as snacks, poultry and cattle feed.

Quoting trade sources, the analysis said the production of sunflower in Tamil Nadu has fallen down in areas like Karur, Vedasanthur and Erode due to failure of the South West Monsoon. However, in districts like Tiruchi and Thuraiyur, the area under sunflower has increased in anticipation of rainfall in the coming months.