ABARES cuts Australian canola production and export expectations

The Australian Department of Agriculture and Resources (ABARES) has lowered its expectations for canola production in 2025/26. Lower yields and reduced planting area have also reduced the country’s export potential.

According to the report, the area planted to the commercial version of canola will fall to just under 3.4 million hectares. Production is estimated at 5.7 million tonnes, about 400,000 tonnes less than this season. The department estimates exports at 4.6 million tonnes for 2025/26, about 200,000 tonnes less than this season and almost 1.4 million tonnes less than in 2023/24. The main reason for this is the reduced yields due to ongoing drought. Soil moisture levels in many regions are below the previous year, which negatively affects planting, plant growth and ultimately crop yield.

The ABARES forecast remains below the USDA and IGC estimates. IGC currently expects the rapeseed harvest to be around 6 million tonnes, while USDA estimates it at an optimistic 6.15 million tonnes.

Earlier it became known that in the current season, global rapeseed processing is expected to grow against the backdrop of a decline in global production – 75.52 million tonnes against 80.27 million tonnes last year due to a decrease in the harvest in India to 10.9 (11.2) million tonnes, the EU – to 16.93 (20.17) million tonnes, Ukraine – to 3.73 (4.63) million tonnes and Australia.

Tags: crop forecast, Australia, rapeseed