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Rapeseed: Exports drive sales, yet planted acreages drive exports’ share

December 15, 2017 at 1:49 PM , Starry Night Ltd.
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Exports account for the depletion of reserves. However, the country seems destined to remain on the tail of EU producers and thus exporters.

Rapeseed: lagging behind on cultivated land yet

BULGARIA. Rapeseed enjoys the highest relative export ratio on a yearly basis among the other locally grown crops since internal refining of the crop is limited, which in turn results in small, occasional imports. The great majority of the oilseed is realized within the EU market, for instance, in countries such as Germany, Belgium, etc. while exports to countries outside the EU is limited. By the 8th of December 2017, total exports accounted to 86.13% of aggregate output, according to local authorities.

Foreign demand for the crop has been persistently strong, and since quantities produced do not record steep increases annually -- harvest 2017-18 came to 458,110 mt -- the market naturally expects farmers to allocate more land for the cultivation of the crop. Yet, the most recent estimates, released by the Ministry of Agriculture, show otherwise. By the 7th of December 2017, estimates of planted acreages came to 171,637 ha, which on a year-to-year basis is by 7.6% lower.

      Harvest 2017-18

(01.07.2017 - 08.12.2017)

           units in MT

Beginning availability

25,000

Aggregate output

458,110

Imports

27,655

Domestic consumption

36,800

   oil & biodiesel production

36,800

Exports to the world

394,561

   to EU markets

365,265

   to rest of the world

29,296

Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture

As if destined to remain on the tail of EU producers

Bulgaria, as a relatively small producer and thus exporter of rapeseed, does not have the market power other regional players such as Ukraine or indeed even a smaller regional player such as Romania do, and as a result, the country fails to build-up a broader presence within the EU market. It is only in the last several years that farmers started allocating more land for the cultivation of rapeseed, since before harvest 2010-11, national output came to less than 250,000 mt. Unless the country jump-starts its cultivation of the crop, it will remain a minor regional player, sliding on the safe bet that its relatively small production will be briskly bought out.

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