Ukraine's sugar output to fall 5% in 2024/25, planted area to shrink, union says

The Ukrainian Association of Agricultural Businesses (UCAB) has forecasted a 5% decrease in the country's sugar beet production for the 2024/25 season, estimating an output of 1.7 million tonnes. This reduction is attributed to adverse weather conditions such as drought and extreme heat in the summer of 2024, impacting various agricultural commodities. Furthermore, the area planted with sugar beet is projected to shrink from 258,000 hectares in 2024 to 245,000 hectares in 2025 due to EU export quotas. These quotas, a response to protests by EU farmers over alleged unfair competition from less regulated producers like those in Ukraine, will cap Ukrainian sugar exports at 109,400 tonnes from January to June 2025.

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine’s 2024/25 sugar beet production is expected to fall 5% to 1.7 million tonnes, the Ukrainian Association of Agricultural Businesses (UCAB) said late on Monday. The body gave no reason for the reduction, but officials and farmers have said drought and extreme heat in the summer of 2024 have drastically reduced yields of most Ukrainian agricultural commodities, including sugar beet. The UCAB said farmers could reduce the area sown with sugar beet to 245,000 hectares in 2025 from 258,000 in 2024 due to the introduction of quotas for sugar exports to the European Union. “Ukrainian sugar exports to the EU are limited by the current trade regime until June 2025 (to a total of) 109,400 tonnes. In addition, Ukrainian sugar exports are also limited by the need to obtain licenses to export to the EU,” said Oleksandra Avramenko, head of the UCAB’s European integration committee. “As such, exports to the EU from January to June 2025 will be limited, slow and ...