Soyabean oil usage in biodiesel is set to increase until 2030, according to predictions by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported by Biodiesel magazine on 9 November.
Released on 6 November, the USDA Agricultural Projections to 2030 report predicted a slight growth in soyabean oil use for biodiesel during the period.
Around 3.6M tonnes of soyabean oil were used in biodiesel production in 2019-20 and that volume was expected to increase steadily to reach 3.8M tonnes in 2030-31.
Soyabean planted area was also expected to increase over the next decade, according to the report. Planted hectares were 31M ha in 2019/20 and expected to reach 34M ha in 2020/21, grow to 36M in 2021/22, reach 36.4Min 2022/23 and 2023/24, reach 36.6M in 2024/25 and 2025/26, fall to 36.4M in 2026/27 and remain at that level through 2023/31.
Similarly, harvested soyabean hectares were 30.3M in 2019/20, and expected to reach 33.3M in 2021/21, increase to 35.7M in 2021/22, be at 36M in 2021/22, reach 36M in 2022/23 and 2023/24, reach 36.3M in 2024/25 and 2025/26, fall to 36M in 2026/27 and remain at that level through 2030/31.
Soyabean yields were expected to increase from 47.4 bushels/acre in 2019/20 to 55.6 bushels/acre by 2030/31.
