German planting likely to push EU rapeseed harvest to four-year high

Rapeseed output in the EU, the world’s largest producer of the oilseed used in cooking and biofuels, may increase to a four-year high after German farmers planted more crops.

Total European production may rise to 20.96m metric tons in 2013-14, up 8.8% from a year earlier, according estimates from the Brussels-based farm lobby Copa-Cogeca.

That would be the largest crop since the 2009-10 season, EU data shows. The rapeseed harvest in Germany, the second- biggest grower in the 27-nation bloc, may climb 15% to 5.54m tons, the country’s oilseed-industry association said.