The experts predict that the warm winter will not lead to a drop in rape productivity in the major exporting countries of Europe – Germany, France, Britain and Poland. Some analysts claim that the total amount of crops of 2014 could even exceed the rapeseed production of the previous year.
In particular, the European Commission expects the rapeseed crop of the European Union to be no more than 20,7 m tons in 2014, that is 0,1 m tons less than the amount of last year’s crop. The data of the Ukrainian Biofuel Portal pellets-wood.com differs from the forecasts of the European Commission and indicates that the rapeseed crop of 2014 will exceed indicators of 2013 and reach 21,5 m tons.
Thus, in Germany, which is the EU’s largest rapeseed producer, the areas under rapeseed cultivation have been reduced by 1,8% to 3,53 m acres this year, whereby the yield is expected to fall by 3,2% to 5,5 m tons.
In France, on the contrary, the rapeseed crop is expected to be on the increase. The total area under the rape crop is 3,76 m acres, up 6% from last year, when the total amount of rape seeds was 4,3 m tons.
The British farmers also expect to increase the production of rape, as recent warm, dry weather in the country allows to make predictions about high productivity this year. The experts state that the seeded area should rise by 3%. Last year in Britain as a result of reducing of cultivated areas of rapeseed, the rape yield fell by 15% and the output – by 16,8% to 2,13 m tons.
In Poland the crops have not been damaged by frosts this year, but a cut in seeded area means a smaller crop is likely. The total area under the rapeseed crop is 2,08 m acres, down 9% from last year.
Apparently, in 2014 Europe expects some crop growth or at least to get last year’s indicators. Farmers’ forecasts are based on the fact that grain crops, including rape, during the winter period didn't suffer and warm spring weather allows even more likely to state about a bumper harvest this year.
The size of the cultivated area has a significant impact on the amount of crops as well. Thus, Poland and Germany will suffer losses as a result of shrinking of seeded areas, but France and Britain, on the contrary, expect some crop growth from expansion of cultivated areas.
Author: Ivan Prokhorov
