EU oilseed crop likely to come in below expectations

In Germany, UFOP reports that according to the EU Commission’s preliminary estimates, the 2018/19 oilseed output in the EU-28 could fall short of last year’s level. The main factor is declines in rapeseed yield.

In its latest monthly report, the EU Commission has projected the 2018 EU-28 oilseed harvest at 33.1 million tonnes. Consequently, production of rapeseed, sunflowerseed and soybeans would fall 6 per cent or 2 million tonnes from the previous year’s level. According to the current outlook, production of rapeseed, the most important oilseed crop in the EU-28, could decline 10 per cent to around 19.7 million tonnes from the previous year. This would be the lowest value since 2012. Soybean output is forecast at 2.8 million tonnes, just less than 7 per cent above the previous year’s level, although the soybean area could decline almost 3 per cent from a year earlier to 0.9 million hectares. As regards sunflower production, the EU Commission expects a 0.6 per cent increase to 10.4 million tonnes, despite a 1.7 per cent decline in cultivation area. This would set a new record high.