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According the European Union agricultural outlook for 2020-30 report, the total EU agricultural area is projected to reduce slightly, mainly driven by reduced cereals and oilseed acreage (51.0 million ha and 10.7 million ha, respectively). The areas for barley and wheat are projected to decrease, while maize areas should compensate for this by meeting the demand for cereal feed. On oilseeds, the rapeseed area is expected to slow its decline and sunflower seed and soya bean areas are projected to continue expanding by 2030.
Total EU cereal production, thanks to increasing yields, is expected to remain stable at 278.1 million t. Better crop rotation systems, improved soil management and increased use of decision support tools should prop yields. Domestic use, supported by higher food use, should also stabilise at 260 million t, while total feed use could decrease by 0.8 million t. In trade, the position of EU exports is due to strengthen thanks to converging EU and world prices and proximity to importing markets, primarily in the Mediterranean region and sub-Saharan Africa.
Total EU oilseed production is projected to increase slightly, totalling 30.2 million t in 2030. Thanks to the positive yield development, particularly for soya beans, production should increase from the low levels in 2018- 2020. Rapeseed, sunflower and soya bean production could reach, respectively, 16 million t (-2.2% compared with 2020), 10.6 million t (+6.6%) and 3.5 million t (+26.9%) in 2030. While EU oilseed trade is expected to slow down in the medium term, soya bean imports should stabilise to meet the demand for animal feed and, while soya meal imports should decline.
16 December 2020/ European Commission/ European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/
