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Japan's vegetable oil and protein feed markets are mature and stable. While surging commodity prices and the shipping crisis impacted Japan's oilseed and product imports in the past, the situation has normalized.

FAS/Pretoria’s Oilseeds and Products annual report provides information on the production, supply, and distribution for soybean, sunflowerseed, and rapeseed in South Africa for marketing year (MY) 2023/24, MY 2024/25, and MY 2025/26.

Soybeans from the United States are once again eligible to enter South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 35 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import soybeans to supplement domestic production and maintain crushing demand.

On September 19, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) announced the exemption of domestic field trial requirements for genetically engineered (GE) soybean with familiar trait.

On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) opened a public comment period for its revision for domestic field trial requirements of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

The 2023 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2023 calendar year.

In relation to persistent rising food prices, Japan has seen a decline in overall vegetable oil consumption. Due to the more favorable crush margin for canola compared to soybeans, FAS/Tokyo forecasts a reduction in soybean imports and crush, while seeing an increase in rapeseed imports and crush for both MY 2023/24 and MY 2024/25.

Post forecasts that South Africa’s oilseed area will be maintained at elevated levels in marketing year 2024/25. South Africa’s summer rainfall oilseed crops in marketing year 2023/24 have been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected major drop in crop volumes, creating an optimistic outlook for higher crop area in marketing year 2024/25.

Post estimates that South Africa will produce a record rapeseed (locally called canola) crop of 220,000 metric tons in marketing year 2023/24.

The 2022 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2022 calendar year.

South Africa has experienced an upsurge in oilseed plantings over the past 20 years with a near nine-fold expansion in soybean area. Post foresees that the positive trend in soybean plantings will continue in marketing year 2023/24 with area and oilseed production reaching historically high level of 1.8 million hectares and 3.6 million metric tons, respectively.

In MY 2021/22, the total value of Japan’s soybean imports reached a historical record while rapeseed crush hit the lowest point in 10 years as rapeseed imports from Canada declined.