World Rapeseed Production At Record Levels In 2013

01/05/13 -- Oil World released their latest projections for the 2013 EU rapeseed crop yesterday, estimating the crop at a 3-year high of 20.2 MMT, up 5% or almost 1 MMT on last year's output of 19.24 MMT.

Germany will sneak back to the top of the table as Europe's largest producer with a crop of 5.45 MMT, up 13% on 4.82 MMT in 2012, they say. French production will fall 5% to 5.2 MMT, relegating them into second place.

The UK will hang onto third in the EU production table with a crop of 2.3 MMT, down 10% on last year, they optimistically predict. The image up top (click to enlarge) is one of a field of OSR here in North Yorks (yes, it hasn't ALL been ripped up) taken at the weekend. Let's hope there's some better looking stuff down south - this is one of the better fields of what's round here.

Europe's fourth largest rapeseed producer this year will be Poland with a crop of 2.17 MMT, up 14% versus 1.9 MMT a year ago, followed by the Czech Republic in fifth with a crop of 1.25 MMT, up 14% versus 1.10 MMT in 2012, they say.

On a global level production in Canada, the world's largest producer and exporter, will rise more than 4% to 14.5 MMT. The combined output of Russia and Ukraine meanwhile will jump by more than a third to 3.2 MMT, they add.

Overall they forecast world rapeseed production in 2013/14 at a record 64.1 MMT.