April 25, 2013

Analysts of APK-Inform present their first forecasts of Ukraine's three major oilseeds (sunflower seed, rapeseed, soy) production in 2013.

Analysts of APK-Inform Agency present their first forecasts of production volumes of the major oilseed crops in Ukraine 2013. In order to reach the aim, the analysts compiled estimation of winter rapeseed losses and condition of its planted areas via the representative polling of agricultural producers, conducted by the Agency in March-April of 2013. Also, there were determined the prospects for spring planting of oilseed crops – sunflower seed, soy and spring rapeseed.

According to forecasts of APK-Inform Agency, in 2013 the trend of planted areas increasing will continue to be relevant, and the general planted areas of three major oilseeds (sunflower seed, rapeseed, soy) will increase to the level of eight million hectares, up 700,000 hectares (or 10%) compared with 2012, and the index will break the record. Winter rapeseed will cover 440,000 hectares of the areas from the growth rate, due to the fact that the losses of crops during the wintering period were quite low during recent four to five years.

Due to the lack of need to re-plant large-scale areas of perished winter crops, the increase of sunflower seed and soy areas will be insignificant, and total 160,000 hectares (3%), and 120,000 hectares (8.4%), respectively. Thus, the planted areas of sunflower seed are forecast at 5.35 million hectares, rapeseed - one million hectares, and soy - 1.6 million hectares.