December 26, 2024

Expected change in EU land-use from cereals to soybeans and pulses due to low demand for feed, report states

The European Commission has released its latest EU agricultural outlook report, which presents the market projections for EU agriculture until 2035.

The use of EU arable land is expected to partially change towards 2035. Land-use shifts from cereals and rapeseed to soybeans, other oilseeds, and pulses are projected, driven by lower demand for cereals for feed and biofuel.

The area of agricultural land under permanent crops is expected to increase, while permanent grassland and fallow land could remain stable.

Yields of cereals and oilseeds are projected to marginally increase by 2035, thanks to positive developments in precision farming, digitalisation, and improved soil health, compensating for climate change, reduced availability, and affordability of agricultural inputs.

By 2035, overall EU cereal production is projected to be 273.8 million tonnes (1.1% above 2022-2024). Cereal production is expected to be driven by corn (63.2 million tonnes) and barley (51 million tonnes), while wheat production is expected to pick up after a decline in 2024.

Production of oilseeds and protein crops is projected to increase to 34.9 million tonnes by 2035. The growth of oilseed production is expected to be driven by a 22% increase in soybean production compared to 2022-2024 (mainly on larger area cultivated), propelled by a supportive EU policy and expectations of an increase in labeled products.

Rapeseed production is projected to decline by 10% by 2035 (from 18.8 million tonnes in 2022-2024), due to lower demand for biofuels.

- European Commission