Major suppliers of rapeseed oil in the EU

Rapeseed is a grain crop that is used in the food, fodder, and biodiesel industries.

Also, rape is the world’s second source of protein flour after soybeans.

For food purposes, refined rapeseed oil is used. It, as well as the first cold-pressed rapeseed oil, contains 60% of the useful butyric acid and only 7% of the fatty acids that are unfavorable for the body. It also contains the necessary amount of vitamin E, which has a positive effect on the endocrine system.

Unprocessed rapeseed oil is used for industrial purposes.

According to statistics, over the past twenty years, the global production of rapeseed has grown steadily. The main producers of rapeseed are China, India, Canada, and the European Union.

Oily rapeseed in Europe is planted both in the spring and winter months. Spring rape is mainly found in the northern regions of Great Britain, Germany, and France, where cold and wet weather prevails. Winter rapeseed is the culture of Western Europe, where mild winters prevail. More than 75% of oily rape in the UK is sown in autumn. Producers prefer winter rapeseed because it has good planting with winter grains and higher yields. Winter rapeseed is planted from the end of August and harvested in July next year. The crop enters the growing season in winter and blooms in spring. During these years, many countries in Europe are beginning to grow rapeseed.

Rapeseed, which is produced in the European Union, has a low content of erucic acid and glucosinolates. Because of this, European rapeseed oil is also quite in demand. Many European consumers prefer rapeseed oil to other oils or other sources that may contain GMOs.

Rapeseed oil is an important product for the European Union. Its harvest is 3 million hectares and its production value is 2.5 billion euros. Three countries (France, Germany, Great Britain) account for 90% of the European Union’s rapeseed production. European rapeseed production has played a significant role in increasing the self-sufficiency of the European Union in this market.

EU Rapeseed Oil Suppliers – Supply Requirements

In the EU, the main rapeseed oil-consuming countries are Germany, Poland, France, and Denmark. These same countries are also the main rapeseed producers. The demand for rapeseed has recently increased dramatically in many countries. In France, Germany, Great Britain, the yield of oilseeds, including rapeseed oil, is increasing every year thanks to advanced technologies in agriculture and high-quality professional experts.

In order to supply rapeseed oil to the EU countries, the following factors must be taken into account: light, transport, air, containers, etc.

Rapeseed oil is usually transported in

tanks, sometimes in barrels. In this case, the packaging must be absolutely clean and fully filled so that there is a minimum of free space above the oil surface. The temperature of oil transportation should be about 15 C (12 24 C). This temperature must be controlled because as it increases, the density of the oil decreases, which may increase the oil volume. Oxygen must not flow into the oil. It promotes oxidation and premature burnout. The packaging must be secured securely.

Documents necessary for the delivery of rapeseed oil to the EU: commercial invoices, transport documents, insurance documents, as well as other types of documents (certificates of origin of goods, customs value declarations).

Demand for rapeseed oil in the EU

Imports of rapeseed oil are made mainly to those countries that produce it. The EU is its main consumer. The peculiarity of this region is the strong increase in consumption over the last twenty years. This product is the main raw material for biodiesel production in Europe. The development of this sector leads to an increase in demand for both rapeseed and processed products, including rapeseed oil. As a result, in recent years, the European Union has become a major buyer of this product.

The demand for this product on foreign markets is high in the world rapeseed trade. The demand for this product is growing in Asian countries, where the livestock sector is actively developing in an environment where local farmers are reducing their agricultural production.