Record harvest expected for EU oilseeds

The oilseed harvest in the EU-27 is likely to see yet another rise this year following a bumper crop of soybean and sunflower seeds.
The rapeseed harvest has also seen an increase in the past 12 months.
The EU Commission currently estimates output for 2021 at 30.6 million tonnes. This will translate to a rise of just under 11% over the previous year. However, production will still fall about 1% short of the long-term average.
Rapeseed traditionally accounts for the largest share in oilseed output with a large rapeseed harvest expected following a 3% expansion in area.
Based on quantity, sunflower seed is the second most important oilseed crop in the EU-27.
The projected increase in sunflower seed is particularly sharp with the main reason being the expected exceptional yields.
The recently forecast 10.8 million tonnes will not only be a rise of just about a quarter year-on-year, but will also result in a record-breaking volume.
The third most important oilseed crop is soybeans.
According to Brussels, based on a 3% expansion in area planted and an estimated increase in yield of 8%, the EU soybean harvest is set to reach 2.9 million tonnes.
This will mean an 11% rise year-on-year and the largest harvest ever in the EU-27.