Ukraine exported 25 thousand tons of sugar in September

According to customs statistics, Ukrainian sugar exports in September 2023 amounted to 25 thousand tons. The total since the beginning of the season (October 2022) is 427 thousand tons.

This is one of the largest sugar exports in Ukrainian history. The main reasons are high sugar stocks at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, as well as high world sugar prices throughout the season. It should also be noted that from June 5 to September 15, sugar exports from Ukraine were banned due to government concerns about a shortage of the product at the end of the season and rising domestic sugar prices.

Given the fairly good profitability of sugar beet cultivation and sugar production in Ukraine (primarily due to high world prices), in 2023 Ukrainian farmers significantly increased the sugar beet planted area to 250 thousand hectares (184 thousand hectares in 2022).

As of mid-October, the sugar beet harvest is in full swing, with 96 thou hectares harvested (39% of the plan) with an average yield of 47.7 t/ha.

It can be expected that the total beet harvest in Ukraine in 2023 will be about 11.8-12 million tons (which will be the highest value since 2018), sugar production – 1.6 million tons. In total, Ukraine can export about 600-650 thousand tons of sugar in the new season.

Tags: Ukraine, export, sugar