Chairman of the Australian Oilseeds Federation’s Sunflower Committee Rob MacDougall said harvest of early plant sunflowers commenced six weeks ago, with yields around 1.7 to 2.2 tonnes per hectare for dryland crops and 3.0 tonnes per hectare for irrigated sunflowers.

Oil contents have been as high as 47pc in some crops.

Peter Keeley from Brookstead on the Darling Downs grew irrigated sunflowers for the first time in 20 years, and was extremely happy with the result, with yield of ‘mono’ type sunflowers at 3.0 tonnes per hectare and an impressive oil content ranging from 46 to 47 per cent.

Growers receive a bonus payment for sunflower sold to the Cargill with more than 40 per cent oil.

The bonus is calculated on the basis of 1.5 per cent of the purchase price for each one per cent oil above 40 per cent.

“We’ve grown cotton for 20 years. I ‘ummed and ahhed’ about growing sunflowers and everyone thought I was mad.

"But with the extra oil, they’ve paid pretty well for me,” Mr Keeley said.

“There’s no way I could’ve made that sort of money out of sorghum,” he said.