European Union rapeseed and sunflower production is expected to grow in 2026/27, according to the USDA.

European Union oilseed production is expected to increase in 2026/27, driven mainly by the recovery of harvests in sunflower and by maintaining a high level of production rapeseed, second report of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)The increase in domestic supply should support greater internal processing and reduce the bloc's dependence on imports of these commodities. According to the document, total oilseed production in the European Union should reach 33.3 million tons in 2026/27, a 4.0% increase compared to the 32.0 million tons estimated for 2025/26. Growth will be led by sunflower, while rapeseed should remain at historically high levels. The crop of rapeseed The European Union's soybean production is expected to reach 20.4 million tons in 2026/27, practically stable compared to the 20.5 million tons estimated for 2025/26. Despite the slight annual decrease, the volume remains close to the highest level in recent years and confirms the structural recovery of the crop in the bloc. The harvested area is expected to grow by 2.7%, to 6.3 million hectares, stimulated by relatively attractive prices for producers. According to… USDAFrance, Germany, Poland, and Romania account for approximately 75% of European rapeseed production, consolidating their position as the main centers of the crop in the bloc. The report highlights that rapeseed remains one of the main raw materials for the European biodiesel sector, a factor that sustains the structural demand for the crop. More than 50% of the rapeseed oil produced in France, for example, is destined for the manufacture of biofuels. Furthermore, the gradual elimination of palm oil from the European biodiesel matrix continues to favor the use of regional raw materials such as rapeseed. Rapeseed crushing in the bloc is expected to remain practically stable at 25.05 million tons in 2026/27, compared to 25.0 million in 2025/26. Even so, industrial consumption will continue to exceed local production, maintaining the structural need for imports. External purchases of rapeseed are expected to remain at 5.8 million tons in 2026/27, stable compared to the previous year. The bloc continues to import mainly from Ukraine, Canada, and Australia. European Union rapeseed oil production is expected to reach 10.52 million tons in 2026/27, a new historical record and a slight increase compared to the 10.50 million tons projected for 2025/26. Industrial consumption of the product is expected to rise to 7.35 million tons, while ending stocks of rapeseed oil are expected to fall by 34%, to 255,000 tons, indicating a still tight market even with record production. In the case of… sunflowerThe European Union is expected to register the largest proportional expansion among major oilseeds. Production is projected at 9.9 million tons in 2026/27, a 14.3% increase compared to the 8.66 million tons estimated for 2025/26. The harvested area is expected to grow by 5.2%, to 4.88 million hectares, while average yields should rise by 9%, reaching 2.03 tons per hectare, a level aligned with the European five-year average. France, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Spain are expected to lead the expansion of planted area. According to the USDA, the advance of sunflower is being driven by producers' preference for crops that are more resilient to drought and require less fertilizer. The report highlights that nitrogen fertilizer prices were 25% above the 2024 average in January 2026, making sunflower more competitive against corn in several regions of the bloc. With greater domestic availability and favorable margins, sunflower crushing in the EU is expected to grow by 9.5% in 2026/27, reaching 8.5 million tons. The largest increases in processing are expected in Hungary and Romania, followed by France, Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria. At the same time, sunflower seed imports are expected to fall by 25%, to 640,000 tons, due to greater domestic supply and the expectation of lower exportable availability from Ukraine. Sunflower oil production in the bloc is expected to rise to 3.6 million tons in 2026/27, up 9.7% from the 3.28 million tons estimated for 2025/26. Food consumption is expected to advance by 4.7%, to 4.71 million tons, while imports are still expected to grow slightly, to 2.35 million tons, due to strong domestic demand and the need to replenish stocks.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.