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Industrial Crops

EU Rape and Turnip Rape Seeds: Winners & Losers [2016–2025]

This EU rape and turnip rape seeds 10-year analysis reveals that Lithuania, Romania, Poland, and Denmark all posted strongly ascending production trajectories, while Hungary, Czechia, and Germany recorded the steepest declines. Lithuania delivered the fastest growth in the bloc (a 9.89% CAGR, more than doubling output), France retained the largest absolute volume but was essentially flat, and Czechia emerged as the most reliable supplier.

Published Jul 11, 2026|Dataset: apro_cpsh1

10-Year Production Trajectory: Rising Stars & Fading Producers

EU-27 rape and turnip rape seeds output rose from 18.2 million tonnes in 2016 to 20.0 million tonnes in 2025 — a net gain of roughly 1.8 million tonnes (+9.8%), equivalent to a 1.0% CAGR. The decade low was 2019 at 15.3 million tonnes, and output exceeded 19 million tonnes in three of the final four years.

France held its position as the largest producer by a narrow margin over Germany, averaging 4.3 million tonnes annually. French output was essentially flat over the decade (a -0.26% CAGR, -111.8 thousand tonnes net). Its 2020 value carries a break-in-series flag reflecting a methodological change. Germany, the second-largest producer, slipped into Declining territory (a -1.55% CAGR, -599.4 thousand tonnes or -13.1%), with a 2017 value flagged as a definition difference.

The clearest rising stars were in Eastern Europe. Lithuania more than doubled its output (a 9.89% CAGR, +133.6%), climbing from 401.6 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 938.4 thousand tonnes in 2025. Romania nearly doubled (a 7.57% CAGR, +92.8%), lifting production from 1.3 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes over the ten years. Poland grew at a strong 5.63% CAGR (+63.7%), adding 1.35 million tonnes and reaching 3.5 million tonnes by 2025, though its 2025 value is flagged as Eurostat-estimated. Denmark posted solid growth (a 3.64% CAGR, +37.9%), though from a smaller base. The steepest declines came from Hungary, which lost more than half its output (a -8.46% CAGR, -54.9%, falling from 925.0 to 417.3 thousand tonnes), and Czechia, which shed a quarter of its production (a -3.12% CAGR, -24.8%, from 1.4 million to 1.0 million tonnes).

All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series, d = definition difference, e = estimated.

Country2016201720182019202020212022202320242025CAGRNet Change (1 000 t)Trajectory
France4742.95378.54980.53523.33290.0b3306.54516.54276.93941.14631.1-0.26%-111.8Stable
Germany4579.64275.6d3677.22830.23527.33504.64294.94218.03631.73980.2-1.55%-599.4Declining
Poland2121.82578.72105.62268.82982.93050.93487.13575.13124.23473.3e+5.63%+1351.6Ascending
Romania1292.81673.31610.9798.2780.21375.11229.51789.71180.82492.6+7.57%+1199.9Ascending
Czechia1359.11146.21410.81157.01245.31024.91166.41309.5946.91021.7-3.12%-337.4Declining
Lithuania401.6546.5435.9692.5972.4909.4901.0819.5868.0938.4+9.89%+536.7Ascending
Hungary925.0932.11002.7912.1876.9734.0505.1626.4450.4417.3-8.46%-507.7Declining
Denmark506.2742.3489.1729.0560.2650.9889.2822.7696.9698.2+3.64%+192.0Ascending
EU-2718244.219746.617916.615288.916563.216946.719417.219585.216632.220026.4+1.04%+1782.2Ascending

Supply Stability Scorecard: Reliability Rankings

The most reliable supply does not come from the largest producers. Ranking the top eight countries by coefficient of variation (CV) — a lower percentage indicates more stable year-to-year output — reveals a clear split between dependable and volatile sources.

Czechia is the decade's most stable supplier among the top eight (CV 12.34%, max drawdown -27.69%), despite ranking only seventh by volume. Germany is a close second (CV 12.73%, max drawdown -23.03%), making it the most reliable high-volume producer: 3.9 million tonnes mean output with below-average volatility. France (CV 16.10%, max drawdown -29.26%) and Denmark (CV 18.22%, max drawdown -34.11%) fall into the moderately stable tier.

Poland (CV 18.85%) is a borderline case — its moderate volatility is tempered by the shallowest maximum drawdown of any top producer (-18.35%), meaning Poland never lost more than a fifth of its crop in a single year. At the volatile extreme, Romania (CV 33.69%) experienced the harshest single-year contraction of the decade: a -50.45% drawdown in 2020. Hungary (CV 28.56%, max drawdown -31.19%) and Lithuania (CV 27.27%, max drawdown -20.24%) round out the high-volatility tier.

CV < 10% = Very stable; CV 10–20% = Moderately stable; CV > 20% = Volatile.

CountryMean (1 000 t)CV%Max Drawdown%Years Below MeanStability Rank
Czechia1178.812.34%-27.69%61
Germany3851.912.73%-23.03%52
France4258.816.10%-29.26%43
Denmark678.518.22%-34.11%44
Poland2876.818.85%-18.35%45
Lithuania748.527.27%-20.24%46
Hungary738.228.56%-31.19%57
Romania1422.333.69%-50.45%68

Land Allocation Shift: 10-Year Cropland Transformation

EU-27 harvested area for rape and turnip rape seeds expanded modestly from 5.96 million hectares in 2016 to 6.04 million hectares in 2025 (+81.3 thousand hectares, +1.4%, a 0.15% CAGR). The net EU change masks a sharp East–West divergence in land-use trends.

France (-285.3 thousand hectares, -18.4%, a -2.23% annualized rate) and Germany (-230.8 thousand hectares, -17.4%, -2.10%/yr) both reduced area substantially, while Czechia (-14.5%, -1.73%/yr) and Hungary (-44.0%, -6.24%/yr) followed the same pattern. Hungary's contraction was the most severe: its harvested area shrank from 256.7 thousand hectares to just 143.8 thousand hectares, a decline of 112.9 thousand hectares over the ten years.

On the expanding side, Lithuania more than doubled its rape area (+128.6%, a 9.62% annualized rate, +197.6 thousand hectares), Romania added 332.1 thousand hectares (+72.8%, +6.27%/yr), and Poland expanded by 274.9 thousand hectares (+33.4%, +3.26%/yr). Denmark held essentially steady (-1.6%, -0.18%/yr, Stable). Comparing production CAGR against area CAGR provides a lens into efficiency gains. In Poland, production (+5.63% CAGR) grew faster than area (+3.26%/yr), implying yield improvement. In Romania, production (+7.57% CAGR) also outpaced area (+6.27%/yr). In contrast, France and Germany saw production fall more slowly than area, meaning per-hectare yields rose even as acreage contracted. Hungary was the exception: production (-8.46% CAGR) fell faster than area (-6.24%/yr), indicating a yield squeeze on top of land attrition.

All values in 1 000 ha. b = break in series, e = estimated.

Country2016201720182019202020212022202320242025Net Change (1 000 ha)Growth RateTrend
France1550.51406.41616.61107.01112.9b980.11230.21345.71326.71265.2-285.3-2.23%Contracting
Germany1325.71308.91228.3856.8957.71000.91088.21178.21088.31094.9-230.8-2.10%Contracting
Poland822.6914.3845.1875.2979.4993.41078.11102.61009.81097.5e+274.9+3.26%Expanding
Romania455.9598.0632.7352.6362.9445.9468.9641.4522.3788.1+332.1+6.27%Expanding
Czechia393.0394.3411.8379.8368.2342.3344.0379.9343.4335.9-57.1-1.73%Contracting
Lithuania153.6180.9205.3241.7283.6310.5348.4304.9328.6351.2+197.6+9.62%Expanding
Hungary256.7303.0330.6300.6310.0257.5204.6188.8172.4143.8-112.9-6.24%Contracting
Denmark163.2177.6142.6165.5145.9162.4197.9211.2180.8160.6-2.6-0.18%Stable
EU-275955.66185.86317.65118.75321.75326.05886.96192.85698.66036.9+81.3+0.15%Stable

Frequently Asked Questions

Which EU country increased its rape and turnip rape seeds production the most from 2016 to 2025?

Lithuania recorded the fastest growth, posting a 9.89% compound annual growth rate and more than doubling its output (+133.6%) from 401.6 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 938.4 thousand tonnes in 2025. Romania and Poland also showed strong gains, with CAGRs of 7.57% and 5.63%, respectively.

Which country is the most stable rape and turnip rape seeds supplier in the EU?

Czechia ranked as the most reliable top producer, with the lowest coefficient of variation (12.34%) among the eight leading countries. Germany placed a close second (CV 12.73%), combining the second-highest mean production with strong year-to-year consistency.

Is EU rape and turnip rape seeds farmland expanding or shrinking?

EU-27 harvested area edged up marginally (+1.4% over the decade). However, this aggregate stability masks a pronounced East–West split: France, Germany, Czechia, and Hungary all contracted their area, while Lithuania, Romania, and Poland expanded theirs substantially.

Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.

This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.

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