Romania and Ukraine sharing the EU rapeseed market

Romanian rapeseed exports set a record last season, when they totaled 1400 KMT according to official data. The nation managed to achieve this not only owing to crop shortfalls in France and Poland, which are the top suppliers in the EU domestic market. Decreased competition from Ukraine, where total rapeseed production also declined, made it possible for Romania to expand its share in EU markets.

The Romanian share in supplies to the EU domestic market doubled to 16% in the 2016/17 season against 8% in 2015/17. The situation in the current season is somewhat more difficult because France, Poland and Ukraine have harvested rich rapeseed crops.

Ukraine pushed up exports sharply after having harvested a rich crop. Its shipments to the EU gained 92% in July-December 2017/18, reports UkrAgroConsult.

How will Romania manage to realize its rapeseed exports potential in such conditions? As a reminder, the nation harvested another bumper crop in 2017 (up 22% from the previous year’s record).

Full version of the article is available to subscribers for weekly market report “Black Sea Vegoils”  by UkrAgroConsult.