Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine could expand rapeseed plantings by a third to 1.5 million hectares this autumn if the conflict in Iran continues to push fuel prices higher, Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotskiy said. He cited growing demand for biodiesel feedstocks.
Potential acreage increase
Vysotskiy said farmers could increase rapeseed acreage by 400,000 hectares from current levels to 1.5 million hectares in the autumn if the situation continues, while noting that expanding cultivation by that amount in a single year would be challenging.
Fuel prices and demand for rapeseed
Fuel prices have risen since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February ignited a wider Middle East conflict, raising concerns of further increases if the war persists. Ukraine is a major European producer and exporter of rapeseed, which European Union countries buy mainly for cooking oil and biodiesel production.
Crop choices and output estimates
Vysotskiy said farmers still had time to decide which crops to replace with rapeseed. Ukraine plants more than 20 million hectares of grains and oilseeds, including corn, wheat, sunflower and barley. He said an additional 400,000 hectares of rapeseed could yield at least one million metric tonnes.
Harvest and export forecasts
Ukraine grows winter rapeseed, which is sown in autumn and harvested the following mid-summer. Consultancy APK-Inform projects Ukraine’s rapeseed harvest will reach 3.8 million tonnes in 2026, up from 3.3 million tonnes in 2025, with exports forecast at 2.7 million tonnes in the 2026/27 season.
How could higher fuel prices influence the crops farmers choose to plant this autumn?
