Strategie Grains sees rebound in EU rapeseed and sunflower crops next year

European Union production of rapeseed and sunflower seed should rebound sharply in 2025 after adverse weather cut this year’s crops, consultancy Strategie Grains said. In its first projections for next year’s oilseed output, the firm forecast the EU rapeseed harvest at 18.7 million metric tons, up 12% from a four-year low of 16.7 million in 2024. For sunflower, 2025 production was pegged at 10.5 million tons, up 25% from a nine-year low of 8.4 million expected in 2024. This year’s rapeseed crop suffered from repeated heavy rain in western Europe, while the sunflower harvest was hit by drought, heatwaves and torrential rain in southeast Europe. For the next rapeseed crop, sowing conditions “were not ideal” because of too much or too little rain in production belts, but were still better than a year ago, Strategie Grains said in a summary of an oilseed report. Larger rapeseed harvests were anticipated next year in Romania, France, Germany and the Baltic States, it said. The ...