Sowing of winter rapeseed is increasing in pace, but due to the risk of drought, farmers in the south are reducing the areas under the crop.

After a slow start, the pace of winter rapeseed sowing has accelerated and now corresponds to last year's level, when 377.2 thousand hectares (32%) were sown by this date. A sharp reduction in areas is expected in the Odesa region, although last year local agrarians more than doubled initial expectations. An expansion of areas is expected in the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions, but weather risks remain, as drought significantly limited sowing in the Dnipropetrovsk region in 2024.

Ukraine has launched a campaign for sowing winter crops for the 2026 harvest: as of September 1, 377.1 thousand hectares of winter rapeseed have been sown, which is 33.8% of the projected area, reports ASAP Agri. It is noted that after a slow start, the pace of sowing accelerated last week and now corresponds to the level of last year, when 377.2 thousand hectares (32%) were sown by the same date. The total area for winter rapeseed is projected at 1.11 million hectares, which is only slightly less than the 1.18 million hectares of last year. In regional terms, the forecast indicates a sharp reduction in areas in the Odesa region, although last year local farmers more than doubled the initial expectations. Expansion of areas is expected in the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions, but weather risks remain, as in 2024, drought significantly limited sowing in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Meanwhile, ...