Rapeseed supplies to the EU from Ukraine in the 2024/25 season decreased by 24% – UFOP

According to the European Commission, rapeseed imports to the EU in the 2024/25 season significantly exceeded the previous year’s figure by 5.7 million tonnes and amounted to 7.3 million tonnes. A lower harvest within the union increased import needs, according to the German Union for the Promotion of Oilseed and Cereal Cultivation (UFOP).

In terms of origin, two trading partners stand out in particular: Ukraine and Australia. At the same time, the flow of goods has changed significantly. For example, supplies from Australia, which amounted to just under 3.5 million tonnes, were about 86% higher than in the 2023/24 season.

Supplies from Ukraine, on the contrary, decreased by about 24% to 2.4 million tonnes. The reason for the decrease in supplies is a smaller rapeseed harvest in the country – 3.8 million tonnes, which is almost 1 million tonnes less than in 2023.

Canada, which is in third place among suppliers, was able to increase its supply volumes 10 times. Canola imports to the EU increased from 103 thousand tons to 1.05 million tons. However, due to the cultivation of GM varieties in Canada, the resulting rapeseed oil is not fully suitable for use in the EU. Most of the supplies were sent to the production of biofuels.

UFOP uses the ever-growing import demand in the EU as an excuse to call on rapeseed producers to fully utilize their sustainable cultivation potential when planning crop rotations for sowing rapeseed for the 2026 harvest. Otherwise, a shortage of domestic or European rapeseed at oil mills will lead to the redistribution of sowing areas to third countries, such as Australia and Ukraine, the union notes.

Earlier it became known that rapeseed exports from Ukraine in the 2024/25 season amounted to 3.14 million tons, which is 15% lower than the figure for the previous MY and was the minimum for the last three seasons.

Tags: Ukraine, EU, rapeseed