The yield of oilseeds in the EU will increase in 2021 compared to a year earlier. The yield of soybeans and sunflower seeds even seems to be breaking records. The rapeseed harvest is also larger than in the past 2 years.
The total harvest of oilseeds is estimated by the European Commission at 30,6 million tons. That is 11% more than in the disappointing year 2020. The yield predicted this year still remains 1% below the long-term average.
Rapeseed is and remains the most important crop in this category in the EU. The area has grown by 3%. The yield has been reduced by 1,5% compared to the previous forecast due to disappointing crop development and amounts to 3,18 tons per hectare. That is still 2% above last year's yield and 4% above the multi-year average. The total yield in the 27 EU member states is estimated at 16,9 million tons.
Record revenues
Sunflowers are increasing the most. The harvest is estimated at a record yield of 10,8 million tons, almost a quarter higher than the yield a year earlier, while the area has hardly expanded compared to last year. Soy yields are also on track for a record yield of 2,9 million tons. The area has grown by 3% and the hectare yield is estimated to be approximately 8% above the multi-year average.
The good yield expectations, coupled with rising prices for vegetable oils, make cultivation economically attractive for arable farmers. In light of the European Green Deal and the national implementation of the new CAP, there are opportunities for these crops in the field of climate protection and eco-schemes. Then it is important that the current relatively high prices and good yields are not an incident but more structural in nature.