Cereal and oilseed rape harvest - first estimates: 2016

6. Oilseed Rape

The majority of Scottish oilseed rape is winter oilseed rape and is mainly exported for biofuels, with a very small amount processed in Scotland for edible oil.

Oilseed Rape Estimates (charts 15 and 16)

Estimated oilseed rape production in 2016 decreased by 37 per cent to 94,000 tonnes, the lowest production volume since our records began in 1992. This was due to a 14 per cent reduction in area, and a 27 per cent drop in yield to 3.0 tonnes per hectare. This year's yield was affected by strong winds around harvest-time.

Over the last 20 years, oilseed rape production has remained relatively stable. This is in part due to a balance between generally decreasing areas grown and general increases in yields achieved. Fluctuations in yield have been more marked in recent years. In 2015, yields improved to their highest level on record, which partly explains why this year's fall is so large.

Chart 15 - Oilseed Rape: Area, Yield and Production

Chart 16 - Oilseed Rape Year-on-Year Change: Area, Yield and Production