A growing global rapeseed import requirement following poor crops in the European Union and China will open the door to larger sales of canola by Australia and Canada, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World forecast on Tuesday.

"The global dependence on Canadian and Australian canola exports will rise to new highs in the 2011-12 season," it said.

Australia’s 2011-12 crop of canola is forecast by Oil World to rise to 2.75 million tonnes from 2.37 million tonnes last season. This will allow Australian canola exports to rise to 1.88 million tonnes from 1.5 million tonnes in 2010-11, it estimates.

Canada’s 2011-12 canola crop is forecast to rise to 13.8 million tonnes from 12.77 million and its exports to rise to 7.48 million tonnes from 7.2 million last season, it said.

Rain damage this summer to rapeseed crops in some EU countries is likely to generate more EU buying on international markets.

"Germany will become the world’s largest importer of rapeseed and canola," it said.

A poor crop means German 2011-12 rapeseed imports will rise by about one million tonnes on the year to around 3.6 million tonnes, it forecast.

Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal are also likely to become net rapeseed importers this season, it said.