by PressStrategie Grains estimates rapeseed production for the European Union
Rapeseed production in Europe will increase this season
Analysts of Stratégie Grains revised the forecast for the crop in the territory of the European Union. Rapeseed production in the current marketing year is expected to be 18.5 million tons, this figure is 9% higher than last season. The main factor for the oilseed crop increase is the expansion of planted acreage. Thanks to this farmers will be able to compensate for the decrease in production due to unfavorable weather conditions.
It should be noted that for the agricultural industry the current weather conditions are not the best. There is a serious drought in almost all European countries. As a result, the sunflower harvest in the EU amounted to about 10 million tons and soybeans — almost 3 million tons, these figures were lower than analysts expected at the beginning of the season.
As for other crops, their production also declined. In France, the corn harvest was 11.3 million tons, which is 1 million tons less than originally expected. Soft wheat was harvested more than 11 million tons, which corresponds almost to the volume of the previous year. Production of durum wheat — within 1.4 million tons. The barley harvest is expected to be about 11 million tons, and rapeseed — 4.5 million tons.
Analysts predict that the winter rape harvest in Germany will be about 4 million tons. This figure exceeds the results of the previous season by 600 thousand tons. In this case, the main role was played by the expansion of cultivated areas — by 9% from the previous year. The winter wheat harvest is expected to be 22 million tons, which is 2 million tons more than in 2021.
As in other European countries, crop production in Germany suffered from a prolonged drought and high temperatures. However, such weather was a positive factor for a number of regions — local farmers were able to complete fieldwork 3 weeks ahead of the standard deadline.
Germany ranks second in the European Union in the wheat sector, with France being the leader. In addition, German farmers are actively taking first place in rapeseed production. In recent years, the demand for this oilseed crop has been growing, aided by the increased use of biodiesel, of which rapeseed is a component. The demand for rapeseed-based products such as meals and edible oils is increasing, and the crop is also used for the production of compound feeds. It should also be noted that many importers switch to rapeseed oil as an alternative to sunflower oil. There is a shortage of the latter on the market as a result of the geopolitical conflict and supply disruption, which led to an increase in prices for the product.