2019/20 world rapeseed production set to be stable

In Germany, UFOP reports that the rapeseed area for the 2019 harvest is expected to increase in many countries, whereas in the EU it is anticipated to decline substantially. For this reason, the International Grain Council (IGC) assumes the global area planted with rapeseed to expand minimally by less than 1 per cent.

Following an extremely difficult season in 2018/19, EU prospects of an average harvest in the coming marketing year were noticeably clouded already at the time of sowing. According to Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI), the prolonged period of drought not only forestalled sowings in many places, but also gave field crops a poor start. This situation has fuelled fears of winter kill. In the EU, there are numerous signs of a significant reduction in rapeseed area. The 4.8 million hectares that have been projected for the marketing year 2019/2020 would be the poorest area basis in 13 years.

By contrast, sowings in Ukraine went well. By the beginning of November sowings were up 16 per cent from 2017. In Ukraine, winter rapeseed accounts for around 90 per cent of the area devoted to growing rapeseed, whereas summer rapeseed prevails in Russia. Russia is also expected to see an increase in rapeseed area. The current estimate is 1.6 million hectares, which translates to a 14 per cent rise from the previous year. In the south of China, sowings of winter rapeseed are reported to be just about complete. Since state funding has been discontinued, the negative trend in area is likely to continue in 2019/20.

The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) has called on the EU Commission to create economically sustainable prospects for European rapeseed – the crop that is the primary GM-free source of protein and flowering plant in cereal-dominated crop rotations. In connection with the revision of the European Renewable Energy Directive (Red II), UFOP expects the Commission to send a clear political signal that the use of palm oil for biofuels will be significantly reduced in the EU in 2019 and gradually tapered down to nil. This goal should be legally anchored in the delegated act the EU Commission is required to submit by 1 February 2019. The association has also urged that the preconditions required for restricting imports should be created in the ongoing anti-subsidy proceedings against Indonesia as soon as possible.