IKAR forecasts a record 22 mln ha of oilseed crops in Russia in 2026

Interest in oilseed crops could once again lead to a historic high in their acreage. In its first forecast of crop acreage structure, the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR) estimated the total area under oilseeds in the current growing season at 22 million hectares.

IKAR General Director Dmitry Rylko announced this during the “Where is the Margin in 2026” conference. According to his estimates, the expansion of acreage under these crops is demonstrating a steady acceleration, especially noticeable after 2021.

Sunflower remains the clear leader: its acreage could reach 11.35–11.65 million hectares, a new record, exceeding last year’s figures (11 million hectares). For soybeans, IKAR allows for a slight downward adjustment to 4.6–4.7 million hectares, compared to 4.73 million hectares in 2025. Rapeseed will be the main growth driver: farmers are likely to increase their plantings to 3.15–3.25 million hectares, up from 2.96 million hectares the year before.

Against the backdrop of last season’s record gross harvest (according to Rosstat, 17 million tons of sunflower, 8.96 million tons of soybeans, and 5.6 million tons of rapeseed were harvested in 2025), the industry continues a large-scale investment cycle. According to Dmitry Rylko, oilseed processing capacity will increase by another 2–3 million tons over the next three years.

A key feature of the season, according to Rylko, is the versatility of production:

“Only multi-crops plants are being commissioned now. This is fundamentally changing the market: processors now have the ability to quickly switch between crops depending on market conditions and the raw material base,” the head of IKAR emphasized, noting that such flexibility significantly reduces business risks.

Tags: Russia, soybean, sunseed, rapeseed, sown area