Only 30% of winter rapeseed for the 2026 harvest has been sown in optimal terms in Ukraine

In southern and eastern Ukraine, the weather remains extremely dry, which reduces the potential for sunflower and corn harvests, and also prevents the sowing of winter rapeseed.

As of September 1, 2025, 377 thousand hectares were sown with winter rapeseed in Ukraine, which is 33.8% of the planned 1.114 million hectares, with the largest areas sown in Vinnytsia and Ternopil regions – 85 thousand and 78 thousand hectares, respectively.

Recall that as of September 2, 2024, 446.2 thousand hectares were sown with winter rapeseed in Ukraine, which was 37.8% of the planned 1.18 million hectares, but at the end of the season the area reached 1.3 million hectares, although part of the crops was lost in winter and spring.

The optimal time for sowing rapeseed in Ukraine is from August 5 to September 5, but given the forecasts of dry and hot weather in the next 2 weeks, farmers will not sow, and only if there is precipitation, some farmers will risk sowing rapeseed later.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy has published forecasts of the area sown with winter grain crops for the 2026 harvest. Thus, it is planned to sow 4.778 million hectares with winter wheat this year (in 2025 – 5 million hectares), 576.1 (592.2) thousand hectares with winter barley, 69.3 (64.4) thousand hectares with winter rye. Thus, the total area sown with winter grain crops in Ukraine in 2026 is forecast at 5.368 million hectares compared to 5.657 million hectares a year earlier.

Winter rapeseed sowing conditions in Europe are somewhat better as precipitation remains sufficient and additional rain is forecast.

Rapeseed quotes on the Paris stock exchange are trading at a 4-month low of €465/t or $541/t under pressure from forecasts of increased harvests in Canada and Australia.

Rapeseed prices in Ukraine remain lower than sunflower due to the introduction of 10% export duties, although demand from processors is increasing due to expectations of a sharp decrease in sunseed and soybean harvests this season.

Farmers report that they plan to reduce rapeseed sowing areas due to a drop in its prices to the level of 22,500-23,300 UAH/t FCA, which reduces the profitability of production, as well as high costs for protection and care and high risks due to drought.

The reduction in rapeseed sowing areas in Ukraine will provide strong support to new crop rapeseed quotes in Europe.