The 2024 rapeseed harvest in Germany remains below the previous year's level . The German Raiffeisen Association (DRV) has based on the Stat. Federal Office of December 22, 2023 for winter crops made a first rapeseed harvest estimate for 2024. The DRV has partly extrapolated the forecasts of yields per hectare using several years of experience. The total harvest is estimated at around 3.94 million t (previous year 4.23 million t). The weather-related reduction in cultivated area by -4.8% as well as a reduction in yield of -2.3% contribute to this. However, the results vary greatly in the individual federal states. Particularly strong reductions in area as a result of the difficult sowing conditions in 2023 were recorded in Lower Saxony at -12.9% and in Schleswig-Holstein at -14%. Lower yield expectations of -2.5 to -3.3% increase the future unfavorable harvest result to -15 or -17%.
In the country's largest production area , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a harvest reduction of -8.4% is calculated, largely due to the area under cultivation. The situation is similar in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt with harvest losses of -5.8 to -6.6%. The cultivation conditions in Baden-Württemberg were also unfavorable with area reductions of -4.2%. In contrast, more rapeseed was grown in Bavaria , but yield expectations of -7.3% are well below average. In contrast, increasing rapeseed areas have been found in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse , which, in conjunction with favorable yields per hectare, mean that above-average harvests of 5.3 to 9.8% can be expected.
