In the August report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) raised the forecast of global oilseeds production in 2024/2025 MY by 4.5 mln tonnes to 690.5 mln tonnes due to the growth of soybean and rapeseed production, which partially offset the decline in sunflower, cotton, peanuts and palm kernel production.
Analysts increased global rapeseed production by 0.9 million tons to 88.8 million, mainly due to the expansion of rapeseed production in Russia. World sunflower production was reduced by 2.3 million tons to 52.5 million due to unfavorable weather conditions that affected yields in Ukraine, Russia, the EU, Turkey, Serbia and Moldova.
The USDA’s global soybean production in 2024/2025 is increased by 6.9 million tons to 428.7 million tons due to higher production in the US, Ukraine, Russia, India and Benin. Exports are increased by 1.0 million tons to 181.2 million due to higher exports to the US, Ukraine, Russia and Benin, partially offsetting lower shipments from Argentina. Soybean imports were increased for Egypt, the EU, Iran and Turkey. Global ending stocks of soybeans in 2024/25 MY increased by 6.5 million tons to 134.3 million, mainly due to higher stocks in China, the United States and Argentina, partially offset by lower stocks in Brazil.
The sown areas in the season-2024 remained at the level of the previous year, but there is a redistribution of crops: the area under grains decreased by 6% and increased under oilseeds – sunflower by 2%, soybeans by 11%, according to the international research agricultural company Corteva Agriscience in Ukraine.
The reduction in the area under grain crops is due to lower prices for finished products and, accordingly, low profitability of cultivation, said Oleksandra Belash, head of the company’s marketing department, at a meeting of the Media Club in Kyiv on Wednesday. On the contrary, the area under oilseeds has increased due to the rise in prices for finished products.
Corteva Agriscience, in particular, predicts an expansion of winter rapeseed areas for the 2025 harvest.
In 2024-2025, Corteva’s corn seed range will include 44 hybrids in all maturity groups, and sunflower – 31 hybrids for different growing technologies.
The company also announced the launch of new crop protection products and the expansion of its biological portfolio to help customers increase their farming efficiency.
Agro-Region has completed harvesting of winter crops from 12 thousand hectares, in particular, winter rape from 5 thousand hectares and winter wheat from 7 thousand hectares, the results of threshing exceeded the plan, the press service of the agro-holding reported on Facebook.
“The average yield of winter rape for the company amounted to 3.6 c/ha, which even exceeded the average yield of this crop for the last five years. Weather conditions allowed to get quality rape grain with minimal tillage, moisture and weed impurity in the base and meet the key contractual indicators”, – said the chief agronomist of the agricultural holding Yuri Lysak.
Speaking about winter wheat yield, he noted that the plan was also exceeded – by 10%.
“The average yield of winter wheat amounted to 6.6 tons/ha. At the same time, two clusters received yields of more than 7 tons/ha, the best result was shown by the Western cluster – 7.89 tons/ha,” Lysak added.
Winter wheat quality indicators (moisture content, gluten, protein and other parameters) are among the best in Agro-Region in recent years.
“73% of wheat is of second and third class. This is the result of proper selection of varieties and nutrition management,” stated the chief agronomist.
Agro-Region Agro Holding owns a land bank of 39 thousand hectares in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhitomir and Khmelnitsky regions. It specializes in crop production. It consists of 11 companies united in four crop production clusters. It has two elevators – Boryspil with a capacity of 73 thousand tons and Miropolskiy with a capacity of 52 thousand tons.
The annual harvest of grain and oilseeds of Agro-Region is up to 200 thousand tons.
Swedish company Lobiu Sala AB, owned by former Ukrainian Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, in April 2021 received from the Antimonopoly Committee (AMCU) permission to purchase Swedish Agro Region Stockholm Holding, which manages Agro Region group of companies in Ukraine.
In 2023-2024 marketing year, Ukraine processed 1.0 mln tonnes of rapeseed, which was 22.3% of the 2023 harvest, despite the fact that rapeseed is considered to be mainly export-oriented agricultural raw material, reports the association Ukroliyaprom.
“The export of rapeseed oil in July-June of 2023/24 MY reached the record level of over 420 thsd tonnes. Ukrainian rapeseed oil is confidently entering the markets of China, EU countries, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries. Positive dynamics is also observed in rapeseed meal,” the analysts said.
Experts pointed out the continued growth of soybean and meal exports, and, accordingly, their production and processing, especially in January-June 2024.
“The growth of domestic processing of seeds and soybeans, as well as a significant increase in exports of high value-added products, namely oil and meal, confirms the position of the Association on the need to create conditions for maximum processing of oilseeds at domestic facilities. Further development of the oil and fat industry of Ukraine is envisaged not so much in increasing the processing of sunflower seeds as in such oilseeds as soybeans and rapeseed, which are still considered export-oriented,” Ukroliyamprom emphasized and expressed hope for the support of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and the Ministry of Economy.
At the same time, the industry association is skeptical about the prospects for the oilseed harvest in the 2024 season in Ukraine. Experts noted that the oilseed market participants have different forecasts. Most of the players expect an increase in soybean production and a decrease in rapeseed production.
The production of sunflower seeds and oilseeds in general will be almost the same as in 2023/24 MY. However, the abnormal heat can significantly adjust all the forecasts, the industry association stated.
Agrotrade agricultural holding has started threshing winter rapeseed on 11 thou hectares in the 2024 season, the company’s press service reported on Facebook on Wednesday.
“We started harvesting this year as planned. The weather is favorable for us. Short-term rains in the Kharkiv region did not significantly interfere with the harvest, and the grain moisture content is at a basic level. We took care of the necessary resources and equipment in advance, so we have everything we need,” said Oleksandr Ovsyanyk, Director of the holding’s Agricultural Department.
According to the report, rapeseed threshing is already underway in Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions. Soon, the harvesting of this crop will begin in Sumy region. In total, it will last about three weeks.
The Agrotrade Group is a vertically integrated holding company with a full agro-industrial cycle (production, processing, storage and trade of agricultural products). It cultivates over 70 thousand hectares of land in Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Its main crops are sunflower, corn, winter wheat, soybeans and rapeseed. It has its own network of elevators with a simultaneous storage capacity of 570 thousand tons.
The group also produces hybrid seeds of corn and sunflower, barley, and winter wheat. In 2014, a seed plant with a capacity of 20 thousand tons of seeds per year was built on the basis of Kolos seed farm (Kharkiv region). In 2018, Agrotrade launched its own brand Agroseeds on the market.
Vsevolod Kozhemiako is the founder and CEO of Agrotrade.
Ukraine will be able to harvest more than 4 mln tonnes of rapeseed in the season-2024, UkrAgroConsult analytical agency forecasts.
“The State Statistics Service released the official data on the rapeseed harvest in 2023 – 4.2 mln tonnes (+26% compared to 2022/2023 MY), but the export and domestic processing rates prove that the official statistics need to be reassessed,” the analysts said.
They reminded that the export of rapeseed and processed products continues to be at the record pace even in the last months of the season. During the 10 months of the season, the country exported 3586.2 thsd tonnes of rapeseed (+5% compared to 2022/23 MY), 134.1 thsd tonnes in April; 406.1 thsd tonnes of rapeseed oil; 351.9 thsd tonnes of rapeseed meal.
Experts believe that the 2024 rapeseed harvest can also be forecasted on the basis of the revised estimates, according to which it may reach more than 4 mln tonnes.
“Weather remains the key factor in the yield formation. The impact of the cold wave and night frosts on the soil in early May is yet to be assessed, so in the future, the forecast of rapeseed harvest may be reduced,” UkrAgroConsult said.
