Sunflower is the main oilseed crop in Ukraine. The seeds of modern high oil varieties contain 50-55% oil (on a completely dry weight of seeds) and 16% protein, while the kernel contains 65-67% and 22-24%, respectively.

Sunflower oil has a high taste. It is mainly used for food, for making canned fish and vegetables, and in the baking and confectionery industries. After refining and hydrogenation, it is used to make margarine. Lower grades of oil are used in the paint and varnish and soap making industries, for the production of stearin, linoleum, waterproof fabrics, etc. Sunflower cake and meal, which are obtained by processing the seeds into oil, are a valuable concentrated feed for livestock. Sunflower baskets are fed to cattle and sheep after threshing the seeds. In terms of nutritional value, they are equivalent to hay. Sunflower ash is a valuable phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (it contains up to 36% potassium and 4% phosphorus). The husk of the seeds is used to produce ethyl alcohol, fodder yeast and furfural, which is used in the production of varnishes and plastics.