DRV estimates German rapeseed harvest 13% lower than in the weak previous year The German Raiffeisenverband (DRV) estimated a rapeseed harvest of 3.19 million t in its first forecast for the rapeseed year 2019 on the basis of the acreage survey carried out by the Federal Statistical Office. The result would again be -13% below the already very weak previous year. In earlier years , German rapeseed crops were around 5 million t depending on the annual yield . In the face of rapidly falling acreage , these times seem to be over for the time being. Also in this year 2018/19 rape seed areas have fallen by - 25 %. In addition to the difficulties in the availability of suitable crop protection products, the drylands' sowning conditions in late summer were a decisive reason for the decline in acreages . Dramatic slumps have occurred in Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Hesse with more than 33% .But also in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate are with 1515 less cultivation noticeable losses for these regions. Schleswig-Holstein, on the other hand, increased significantly by + 12% , but the previous year was extremely difficult in this federal state with a decline in cultivation of 44%. On the positive side, an increase in earnings to 34.8 dt / ha or +16% compared to the previous year is forecast. However, the results in 2018 with approx. 30 dt / ha also very low. Compared to the 5-year average , the predicted area yields are just in the narrow average range . Although some things may still develop until the harvest, a repeated weak rape harvest seems to be relatively safe in 2019 as well . However, it is not certain whether prices will rise sharply in light of the continuing shortage of rapeseed supply . Because the rape price is decisively determined by its competitors soybean oil and palm oil in the sector of vegetable oils.And there is currently ample supply in these submarkets. Perhaps the market situation could be a bit more relaxed in autumn.
