Organic sunflower production in Serbia

In Serbia, organic crop production was performed on an area of 25035.1 ha in 2022. Organic fruit production (5702.79 ha) dominated total organic crop production, followed by organic cereal production (3838.54 ha), while organic cultivation of industrial crops came third with an area of 2075.73 ha. The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is one of the most important oil plants in Serbia, alongside soya beans and rapeseed. The economic importance of the sunflower results from its use in the food industry (oil, margarine, flour, seeds), the chemical industry (soap, glycerine, paints, varnishes) and the pharmaceutical industry (medicines and cosmetic products) as well as the production of biodiesel. This paper contains analyses and a graphical representation of the area trends and regional distribution of organic sunflower production in Serbia. The method of secondary research was used for this purpose. Organic sunflower cultivation is performed on an area of 1309.35 ha. The Vojvodina region has the largest area of organic sunflower cultivation (1164.98). However, despite favourable agroecological conditions and market demand, organic sunflower production in Serbia is still insignificant.