The Ukrainian sugar producers' union, Ukrtsukor, reported on Wednesday (20) that the sugar beet planting campaign for the 2026 harvest reached 162,100 hectares in the country. According to the entity, this is the smallest area cultivated with the crop since the country's independence in 1991. Furthermore, the volume represents an 18% decrease compared to the previous season. During the Soviet period, Ukraine produced around 5 million tons of beet sugar per year. Since then, production has been registering a sharp decline, mainly due to logistical and export difficulties faced by the sector. Ukrtsukor, however, did not provide detailed justifications for the reduction in planted area this cycle. The figures released by the union were below the estimates published on Tuesday (19) by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy. According to the ministry, the planted area had already reached 188,000 hectares, with a total forecast of 197,000 hectares planted. In 2025, Ukrainian production of white beet sugar fell by 4%, totaling 1.72 million tons.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.