Reuters — Crop consultancy Strategie Grains has raised its estimate of the 2014 rapeseed harvest in the European Union to a record 24.0 million tonnes, from 23.8 million last month, mainly due to a rise in yields in Germany, the UK and the Czech Republic.

It is the fifth time in a row that the forecaster has lifted its estimate above a previous record of near 22 million tonnes, linked to good growing conditions this year across the 28-country bloc.

Strategie Grains’ revised estimate put 2014 output nearly 14 per cent above the 21.1 million tonnes harvested last year, it said in a monthly report.

Rapeseed is the most widely grown oilseed crop in the EU and is used to make edible oil, biodiesel fuel and animal feed.

Strategie Grains also raised its estimate of the ongoing sunflower seed harvest in the EU by more than 100,000 tonnes to 8.8 million tonnes.

Despite a record yield of 3.58 tonnes per hectare expected this year, the crop would still be down on the 9 million tonnes harvested in 2013 due to a near 6 per cent fall in the area sown, it said.