In 2023-2024 marketing year, Ukraine processed a record 17.4 mln tons of major types of oilseeds, including 14.8 mln tons of sunflower, 1.6 mln tons of soybeans and one million tons of rapeseed, according to the industry association Ukroliyaprom.
“The production and export volumes of sunflower oil not only reached but exceeded some pre-war periods. (…) The increase in sunflower oil production was facilitated by significant processing of sunflower seeds at domestic facilities due to a significant reduction in exports, which decreased by 83.4% or 1.5 million tons,” analysts said.
According to their information, in 2023/2024 MY the total volume of sunflower seeds crushed into oil was 14.8 mln tonnes, up 1.3 mln tonnes compared to the previous year.
At the same time, the production and export volumes of sunflower oil amounted to 6.6 mln tonnes and 6.2 mln tonnes, respectively, which was the second result in the industry’s history. Compared to the pre-war 2020/2021 MY, the production and export volumes of sunflower oil in 2023/2024 MY increased by 13.7% and 17%, respectively.
Ukroliyaprom noted that for the first time since independence, Ukraine processed 1.0 mln tons of rapeseed, which accounted for 22.3% of the total harvest in 2023. The production of rapeseed oil reached a record high of 430 thsd tonnes for Ukraine.
This is 0.8 mln tonnes more than in the previous periods, despite the fact that rapeseed is considered to be the main export-oriented agricultural raw material, the industry association said, adding that the export of rapeseed oil in 2023/24 MY reached the record level of over 424 thsd tonnes.
Ukroliyaprom pointed to the continued growth of soybean and meal oil production and exports by 22% and 29%, respectively.
