Record Areas of Oilseed Planting and Growth of Sunflower Oil Imports in Romania

In the 2025/26 season, Ukrainian farmers set a new record for the area planted with rapeseed, which, according to official data, reached 703 thousand hectares. For comparison, the average figure over the past five years was 490 thousand hectares. Some sources suggest that the actual area may be even larger — up to 800 thousand to 1 million hectares. At the same time, a record harvest of this crop is also expected.

This is reported by AgroReview

Decrease in Rapeseed Yield Due to Reduced Expenditures

Despite the significant increase in planted areas, the expected yield of rapeseed will be lower than previously anticipated. The main reason is the reduction in spending on fertilizers, which are critically important for achieving high rapeseed yields. In the southern part of the country, early harvesting of the crop has already begun.

Sunflower in Romania: Positive Dynamics and Import Strategy

Favorable weather conditions, including timely rains, have positively influenced the development of sunflowers in Romania. According to preliminary estimates, the yield of this crop will be 7% higher than the average figure over the past five years. The total production volume is expected to be 50% greater compared to last year, when a low yield was observed.

Despite the low sunflower yield in 2024, exports of this crop in the 2024/25 marketing year exceeded the most optimistic forecasts. The main reasons for this growth were high prices and stable demand, particularly from Turkey. Exporters benefited from this, while processing enterprises suffered significant losses.

“As a result of high raw material prices, Romanian processors began importing Ukrainian crude sunflower oil and processing it in Romanian plants.”

Romania is expected to increase the production of oilseeds in the current season. However, the level of processing will remain relatively low due to narrow margins and intense price competition in the sunflower oil market.