June 21, 2013

EU rapeseed production to increase this year

Despite mediocre crops in major producers France and Britain, the EU will harvest a larger rapeseed crop this summer than last year.

"The good crop prospects in Germany, Poland and much of east Europe are likely to outweigh the miserable outlook in Britain and France," one rapeseed trader said. "The EU will still have a big import need but this will be smaller than last year."

German analysts Oil World estimate the EU 2013 crop of rapeseed will rise to 19.72 million tonnes from 19.31 million tonnes in 2012. Germany is set to take over from France as the EU's top rapeseed producer this summer with its crop rising to 5.42 million tonnes from 4.80 million tonnes in 2012, the German Farm Co-operatives Association estimates.

"Germany has switched to sunny hot weather which has helped plants recover after the wet and cold spring," one trader said. "The picture is looking more positive." Bad weather has spoilt the outlook in France where the country's farm ministry expects the winter rapeseed crop to fall by more than 17% this year to 4.5 million tonnes.