Ukraine May Boost Rapeseed Cultivation by a Third as Global Fuel Prices Rise

Ukraine could increase its rapeseed cultivation by a third to 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) in response to the spiralling conflict in the Middle East, Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotskiy said on Thursday.

Ukraine supplies the bulk of its rapeseed to EU countries for cooking oil and biodiesel production. But global fuel costs have surged since the start of the US and Israel’s war on Iran in February – and so has demand for biodiesel feedstocks, including rapeseed oil.

In an interview with Reuters, Vysotskiy said that Ukrainian farmers still have time to adapt to this new demand.

“If this situation drags on, then farmers will expand their rapeseed acreage and could reach 1.5 million hectares in autumn – that is 400,000 hectares [988,000 acres] more than today,” Vysotskiy said. 

He noted that, while such a massive expansion in a single year would be challenging, farmers still have time to decide which of the country’s more than 20 million hectares should be repurposed for rapeseed.

The potential addition of 400,000 hectares could yield at least 1 million metric tons of rapeseed, Reuters reported. 

Ukraine primarily grows winter rapeseed, which is sown in the autumn and harvested in mid-summer the following year, making geopolitical shifts a critical factor for the upcoming planting season.

Reuters reported, citing agricultural consultancy APK-Inform, that Ukraine is already on track to harvest 3.8 million tons of rapeseed in 2026, up from 3.3 million tons in 2025. 

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Exports for the 2026/27 July-June season are currently projected to reach 2.7 million tons, reflecting the crop’s growing importance in Ukraine’s export portfolio amidst global energy volatility.

The State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection of Ukraine on March 6 announced the expansion of the country’s exports to Asia, the EU, the Americas, and the Middle East. 

Future priorities include opening the Canadian market up to Ukrainian wheat, corn, soy, and rapeseed, as well as increasing the presence of Ukrainian plant-based products in China.