Industrial markets for oilseed rapemeal

Summary

1. Background

Within the EU, rapemeal is utilised as a source of protein for inclusion in animal feeds. The area of industrial oilseeds that can be grown in the EU is limited by that negotiated in the Blair House Agreement. If the feed by-products from non-food oilseeds on set-aside reach 1 million tonnes of soya bean meal equivalent then the Memorandum of Understanding requires the EU to take "appropriate corrective action". One million tonnes of soya bean meal equivalent should be produced from something over 1 million ha of oilseed rape. The quantity of industrial oilseeds harvested in 1995 produced close to the 1 million tonne limit. Consequently it is increasingly recognised in the EU that development of industrial oilseeds cropping may be significantly restricted. This is all the more serious in the light of the development of a number of new oilseed rape varietal types offering greater potential for industrial use, which are likely to be introduced over the next 5 years.