Ukrainian farmers may expand their rapeseed crops due to the conflict in the Middle East
19 March 19:16
Ukrainian farmers could significantly expand their rapeseed acreage if the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
This was stated in an interview with Reuters by Taras Vysotsky, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to him, the area planted with this crop could grow to 1.5 million hectares, which is approximately 400,000 hectares more than at present.
“If this situation drags on, farmers will expand their rapeseed acreage, which could reach 1.5 million hectares by fall,” Vysotsky noted.
Why farmers may change their crop mix
Farmers’ decisions depend in part on the situation in energy markets.
In late February, U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a new round of conflict in the Middle East.
This triggered a sharp rise in global fuel prices, which, in turn, increases demand for raw materials for biodiesel production, particularly rapeseed.
Potential production growth
If the acreage expands by 400,000 hectares, this could yield at least 1 million tons of additional rapeseed harvest.
Ukraine primarily grows winter rapeseed, which:
- is sown in the fall
- is harvested in mid-summer of the following year.
According to estimates by analysts at the agricultural consulting firm APK-Inform, Ukraine could harvest 3.8 million tons of rapeseed in 2026.
For comparison, the harvest in 2025 was about 3.3 million tons.
Exports and Ukraine’s Role in the Market
Ukraine is one of the key producers and suppliers of rapeseed to Europe.
European Union countries use Ukrainian rapeseed primarily for:
- producing cooking oil
- producing biodiesel.
According to analysts’ forecasts, Ukrainian rapeseed exports could reach 2.7 million tons in the 2026/27 season (July–June).
Ukraine as a major agricultural producer
Ukraine remains one of the largest producers of agricultural products in Europe.
The country cultivates over 20 million hectares of grain and oilseed crops.
Key crops include:
- corn
- wheat
- sunflower
- barley
- rapeseed.
Growing demand for biofuels could further strengthen Ukraine’s role as a key supplier of raw materials to the European energy market.
Global demand for Ukrainian rapeseed
Demand for rapeseed products is also growing in Asia.
In particular, in the first half of the 2025/2026 marketing year, China became the largest importer of Ukrainian rapeseed meal, purchasing approximately 155,000 tons.
Rapeseed is considered an effective raw material for biodiesel production: more than one ton of this fuel, used in diesel engines and heating systems, can be obtained from a single hectare.
