Rapeseed production under pressure in Canada

Alongside the EU, Canada is the world's largest producer of rapeseed, with approximately 8.7 million hectares currently under cultivation.
Between 1990 and 2017, the area planted with rapeseed in Canada almost quadrupled, peaking at 9.3 million hectares.
In recent years, this area has been slightly reduced due to increasing concerns about drought, rising production costs, and pest pressure. Trade tensions with the US and China are currently adding further uncertainty.
For the upcoming harvest, the Canadian statistics agency StatCan expects a decline of around 200,000 hectares - or 2.5% - bringing the total area to 8.7 million hectares.
In addition to continued dryness in parts of Canada, the reduction is driven by growing uncertainty about export markets.
China has already imposed punitive tariffs on Canadian rapeseed oil and rapeseed meal and is threatening to extend duties to rapeseed itself.
The trade dispute with the US is another key concern. Many farmers respond to this situation by adjusting their cropping strategies - shifting away from export-dependent rapeseed towards lower-risk spring wheat.
Against this background, the rapeseed area in Saskatchewan - Canada's leading rapeseed-producing province, which accounts for more than half of the national total - is expected to decrease about 0.5 per cent to just under 4.9 million hectares.
According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), the area in Alberta is forecast to fall around 2.8% to 2.5 million hectares compared to the previous year.
Manitoba is expected to experience the most significant decline, with a 9.2 per cent drop in rapeseed area to roughly 1.2 million hectares.