Sunflowers have benefited from the dry weather this summer.

"They're looking quite good. There's a lot less disease, and with them having a deep tap root this dry spell seems to not have bothered them as much," says John Dueck, who farms north of Horndean.

He says the crop looks much better than it did during the past two growing seasons.

"I'm waiting for a crop that I can actually sell at a profit this year. Two years ago it was a total write-off. Last year we sold some for bird feed at a very reduced price," he says. "Hoping that the yield will be there, and I'm sure the price will be positive if I can get the yield."

Buyers will have to compete for the limited sunflower supply, as sunflower acres in Manitoba have dropped to less than 30 thousand from 130 thousand last year.

Dueck was one of the growers who attended the National Sunflower Association of Canada's sunflower research tour at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Morden Research Centre on Friday.