The IGC predicts that in 2025, the world area of rapeseed will grow

According to the new forecast of the International Grains Council (IGC), in 2025/26, the global rapeseed area will grow compared to the current season by 1.4% to a record 44.1 million hectares, in particular in the EU - by 4% to 6 million ha, as the low yield of the 2024/25 season greatly reduced production. The high level of rapeseed prices will also contribute to the increase of sowing areas, the IGC believes.

But the prospects for the future harvest in the main exporting countries are still unclear. In India, especially in the most important agricultural region of Rajasthan, there is a drought, as a result of which the area under rape decreased by 7.2% to 3.12 million hectares. In Canada and Australia, planting will only begin in a few months, so it is too early to judge conditions. However, both countries plan to increase the area under oilseed rape, provided there is a stable demand for it. In the United States, the area of rapeseed can grow by 8.3%.

According to the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH) study, the increase in area is driven by increased demand for rapeseed from the fuel industry, which is a consequence of the legal promotion of the use of biofuels in automobile and aviation transport. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in mid-2024 approved the use of rapeseed oil as a raw material in the production of biofuel, which led to a sharp increase in import volumes and, accordingly, an increase in the area of sowing.

It will be recalled that FAS USDA experts previously predicted an increase in rapeseed production in China.