Drought to cut EU 2011-12 rapeseed crop: Oil World

Drought is likely to cut the European Union's 2011/12 rapeseed crop to 18.91 million tonnes from 20.56 million tonnes in 2010/11, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World said on Tuesday. "The deterioration of rapeseed production prospects is reaching alarming proportions," Oil World said.
"The damage is most severe in Germany and France, the two major producers in the community. But sizeable crop losses also occurred in Poland as well as parts of the UK and Denmark." Germany's 2011/12 rapeseed crop will fall to 4.65 million tonnes from 5.75 million tonnes last season, Oil World forecast. France's crop will fall to 4.70 million tonnes from 4.82 million tonnes and Poland's to 1.80 million tonnes from 2.08 million tonnes. Despite dry weather, the UK crop will still rise to 2.34 million tonnes from 2.23 million tonnes, it said. "In view of the corresponding decline in rapeoil production, consumers in the EU will be faced with tight supplies and will have to struggle to cover their requirements," Oil World said.