German farmers plant more rapeseed and less winter wheat for 2023

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany's winter wheat sown area for the 2023 season has been reduced by about 1.9% to around 2.8 million hectares, the national statistics office estimated on Thursday. . German farmers have turned to winter rapeseed, with plantings for the 2023 season expanded by 7.6% to around 1.2 million hectares, the agency said. The agency's sowing estimates are traditionally one of the first detailed indications of the outlook for the next crop in Germany. Germany is the second largest wheat producer in the European Union, after France, and a major exporter. It is one of the largest producers of rapeseed in the EU, Europe's most important oilseed for edible oil and biodiesel production. “Rapeseed cultivation has become more attractive for farmers, especially after higher prices following the weak Canadian 2021 crop and the war in Ukraine,” the agency said. Ukraine is a major exporter of rapeseed, but its shipments have been disrupted by the war. “Furthermore, winter ...