In recent years, the production and sowing area of rapeseed have significantly increased in Russia. In 2010, its sown area was 856.7 thousand hectares, with a gross harvest of 670.9 thousand tons, while in 2024 these numbers are expected to reach over 2.7 million hectares and more than 4.6 million tons respectively. This information was announced at the "Margin 2025" conference by the general director of the association of rapeseed producers and processors "RASRAPSE" Sergey Tuchin.
The yield of spring rapeseed has increased by 11 c/ha since 2010, and winter rapeseed by 9 c/ha, thanks to the use of intensive technologies. "Average data varies from region to region, but in general, rapeseed has become one of the most demanded crops," highlighted the expert. Thus, rapeseed has moved from being a niche crop to one of the major oilseeds.
The increase in rapeseed production in Russia is linked to its high demand in the global market. It can be scaled in our country due to its wide distribution from Kaliningrad to Zabaikalye.
According to the "RASARPS" association, the sown area of winter rapeseed reached a record 754.5 thousand hectares this year. As for spring rapeseed, its area has been increasing in recent years primarily in Siberia. The overall production of this crop this year will depend on the wintering of winter rapeseed and the sowing of spring rapeseed in Siberia. No one plans to reduce the sown areas as the demand for rapeseed remains high.
The share of domestic rapeseed seeds has increased over the past two years, as reported by the association. "The main thing is the variety renewal. A few years ago, the 'Jubilee' variety was at the top, which has been in the registry since 1998," Tuchin shared. Now it has been replaced by newer varieties and hybrids. At the same time, the share of non-varietal sowings is still high - it reached 30% for spring rapeseed. "This opens up the opportunity to increase the share of domestic elite seeds and actively promote variety renewal," believes the expert.