We can all see it, we can all smell it but what’s the story behind the fields of oilseed rape?

Britain’s farmland has burst into a patchwork of yellow fields as its vivid flowers blossom.

The striking flowers, which make oilseed rape so recognisable in the British countryside, are only on display for five short weeks before they shrivel and die to make way for its seeds that are then harvested for its oil.

One ton of rapeseed produces 400-450 litres of rapeseed oil.

Being the versatile crop that it is, oilseed rape is also used to produce industrial, personal and household products making the yellow plant extremely “green”.

It is the second most widely grown crop in Britain after cereals.

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