Moldovan Rapeseed Prices Rise, But Logistics Cut Into Farmer Profits

The first three months of the new season have brought a series of encouraging signals for the agricultural sector of the Republic of Moldova. The country is exporting very large volumes of rapeseed, strong external demand has sustained export flows even through September, and current export prices significantly exceed those of the previous season. However, for an individual farmer, a price of 10.37 lei per kilogram should not automatically be interpreted as the net farm-gate price received. Substantial logistics costs included in most contracts explain a significant part of the difference compared to last year.

According to an analysis by agricultural market expert Iurie Rija, during the first three months of the new season, the Republic of Moldova exported 259.0 thousand tons of rapeseed. This is the largest volume ever recorded for the July-September period. Nevertheless, this record is very close to last year's result, when 257.8 thousand tons were exported. The increase of just 0.5 percent indicates that for agricultural producers, the determining factor is not the physical volume, but rather the actual price and profitability.

Thanks to these active shipments, Moldova currently ranks fourth among supplier countries of rapeseed imported into the European Union. The average export price for the July-September period reached 10.37 lei/kg, compared to 8.95 lei/kg during the same period in 2025. This represents a 15.9 percent increase, marking the highest seasonal start price level since 2022. This price dynamics is crucial for farmers who are closely monitoring the optimal timing for sales.

Monthly price trends have diverged significantly from last year, when farmers experienced a steady downward price trend. In 2025, prices declined consistently from 9.10 lei/kg in July to 8.68 lei/kg in September. In the current season, the situation unfolded differently as prices remained within a relatively stable range of 10.1 to 10.6 lei/kg, and in September the average price remained high.

At the same time, despite favorable price trends on external markets, the actual financial returns of agricultural enterprises face heavy pressure due to expensive transport infrastructure. Domestic and external logistics expenses have increased, cutting into the final profitability of the oilseed crop. Experts advise farmers to carefully evaluate the transport component when signing export contracts to avoid a situation where external price gains are entirely absorbed by delivery costs.