Rapeseed production in Belgium has seen significant fluctuations over the past decade. Standing at 60.9 thousand metric tons in 2013, it has progressively declined, reaching 34.63 thousand metric tons in 2023. This represents a steep drop with significant year-on-year variations, including substantial declines in 2015 (-13.26%), 2016 (-22.25%), and 2019 (-22.79%). Although there were instances of minor recoveries, such as in 2017 (16.83%) and 2021 (3.72%), the general trend has been one of decrease. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five years (2019-2023) has been a negative -4.37%. The forecast for 2024 onwards predicts further declines with a forecasted five-year CAGR of -1.1%.
Looking ahead, industry stakeholders should monitor several key trends: the impact of climate change on crop yield, potential shifts in agricultural policies or subsidies, technological advancements in farming practices, and market demand for rapeseed oil. These factors could influence future production levels and potentially reverse the forecasted downward trend.
