Sugar production in the EU in 2020/21 is the lowest in the last 5 years but is expected to rise

Published Feb 25, 2022

Tridge summary

The European Union's beet sugar production for the 2020/21 campaign dropped by 11% to 14.2 Mt, the lowest level since the 2015/16 season, due to adverse weather and pest issues, particularly beet yellows. The planted area slightly decreased from the previous year, with France and Germany planting less beet, and significant reductions were seen in Spain and Croatia. The average sugar yield was the lowest in a decade at 10.6 t/ha, with France contributing greatly to the decline. Sugar richness also decreased, and eight factories closed indefinitely, the most significant closure since the end of quotas. Organic sugar production for the season reached 36,000 t.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The EU produced 14.2 Mt of beet sugar during the 2020/21 campaign, 11% less than the previous year and the lowest level since 2015/16. The lower production is a consequence of lower yields due to unfavorable weather and pest problems, especially beet yellows in countries such as France and Germany, which did not have exceptional authorization for neonicotinoids. Production in 2021/22 is expected to be around 16 Mt. The planted area in the EU was 1,413 million ha, slightly below that cultivated in 2019/20, which was 1,449 Mha. In the last five years, the average planted area has remained around 1.5 Mha, according to the latest data from the European Confederation of Sugar Manufacturers. France is the country that planted the most beet (370,000 ha), followed by Germany (351,000 ha), however, these figures are 6% lower than the previous year. The largest percentage reductions occurred in Spain (-16%) and Croatia (-14%). It is the first campaign in which Greece has not sown anything. ...

Source: Agrodigital