Cereals 2026: OSR area predicted to be 15% up next season

The oilseed rape area is set to rise 14-15% next season after two good years for the crop. High yields, good prices and low autumn crop losses are all contributing factors to it’s success.

Plant breeder KWS expects the UK area of oilseed rape to rise to 320,000ha from the 280,000ha currently in the ground.

Speaking at this year’s Cereals event, Kate Cobbold, head of product management and agroservice at KWS said: “Oilseed rape looks as if it could be the crop of the year for the second year running and this will encourage a bigger crop next year.”

See also: UK oilseed rape crop: Why there’s growing optimism in 2026-27

The group, which has bred varieties like hybrid Domingos and old favourite conventional Campus, is upbeat about the crop due to good yields in 2025.

This summer’s harvest looks promising for yields, following low losses from cabbage stem flea beetle over the past two seasons.

“There is more confidence in the crop, and more confidence about drilling later with modern hybrids,” said Rory Hannam, group product manager for oilseed rape.

Optimistic outlook

Co-operative United Oilseeds gives a similar optimistic outlook for an increasing area.

The organisation forecasts a crop of 325,000ha next season compared with its estimate of the crop currently in the ground of 285,000ha.

KWS which markets winter wheat varieties such as Vibe, Extase, and Dawsum, expects the wheat area to hold steady at 1.75m ha or move up to 1.8m ha next season if the weather is good in the autumn, as many farm rotations are built around wheat.

It points out that the milling Group 1 market share could decline due to the milling premiums after a high quality harvest in 2015 together with the high cost of nitrogen fertiliser needed to produce high protein wheats.