PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa is projected to produce a record rapeseed crop of 220,000 tonnes in the 2023-24 marketing year, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. If realized, it would be a year-on-year increase of 5%.

Since 2019-20, rapeseed planted area has grown from 74,000 to 128,100 hectares, while production has nearly tripled, the FAS said.

“Rapeseed production in South Africa grew by seven-fold during the past 20 years after it was first introduced in the late 1990s,” the FAS said. “Constant yield growth from new cultivars combined with firm crush demand because of escalating vegetable oil prices support the expansion in rapeseed production.”

As South African rapeseed output has expanded, so has its exports of the oilseed. The country, which had never exported rapeseed prior to 2019-20, is forecast to ship a record 50,000 tonnes this marketing year, according to the FAS. It noted that most of the exported rapeseed is transported to Germany and Belgium.

“South Africa started exporting rapeseed as local processing capacity is limited,” the FAS said.

Although rapeseed production has expanded significantly, it still comprises only 6% of total oilseed production in South Africa, while soybeans and sunflower seeds account for 73% and 20%, respectively.