Brasília – Canola, the third most produced oleaginous plant in the world, is gaining space in the Brazilian market. According to data supplied by the National Food Supply Company (Conab), the production estimate for the 2009/2010 crop is 42,000 tonnes, 40% more than in the previous cycle. In 2008, production totalled 30,000 tonnes, and in 2007, 20,000 tonnes. A worldwide commodity, canola accounts for 16% of vegetable oil production, after soybean (33%) and palm oil (34%).
“The rise in canola production is a result of the consolidation of the Brazilian biodiesel industry,” said the Agroenergy coordinator at the Ministry of Agriculture, Denílson Ferreira. To him, the Brazilian biofuels industry may contribute to the expansion of the diversified supply of oils, such as soy, sunflower, palm, and canola.
Area
Canola farming covers an area of 30,000 hectares in the three leading producing states in Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul. The yield should be 1,300 kilograms per hectare, and considering that approximately 40% of the grain consists of oil, 500 litres will be produced per hectare. “It is a significant volume, given that it may be rotated with other cultures such as soy, maize and wheat,” said Ferreira.
Health
Research work conducted by the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) shows that canola oil may help prevent heart disease. High in Omega 3, a fatty acid that helps prevent “bad cholesterol” and increase “good cholesterol,” canola oil also helps control arterial pressure, according to the UERJ researchers.
World
In Europe, canola is one of the most important raw materials for biodiesel manufacturing, one of the reasons for which is the use of grain unfit for sale. The plant’s chaff contains 34% to 38% of protein, therefore it is used in animal feed formulas.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
