The sugar beet harvest in the European Union is below the multi-year average and below last year's level, according to the latest MARS report from the European Commission. In addition, viruses and bacteria cause headaches for growers and the low sugar content is causing a major adjustment in European sugar production.
The MARS report The European Commission assumes a European sugar beet harvest of 72,5 tons per hectare. That is a decrease of 2,8% compared to the 5-year average and 1,9% lower than last season's yield. The European Commission is thus adjusting the yield downwards for the third time in a row. The negative adjustment is partly due to viruses and bacteria in various countries and last summer's drought.
Low sugar levels
For the Netherlands, a sugar beet yield of 83,5 tons per hectare is assumed. That is 0,5% above the 5-year average, but 0,5% lower than last season's yield. If we take into account an area of 79.000 hectares, this amounts to more than 6,5 million tons of sugar beets. But now that the weather conditions are better again, the sugar content continues to be disappointing. The new figures from Cosun show that the average sugar content in the fourth campaign week was 15,9%. Cosun reports that it expects an increase in this number, given the improvement in the weather. The tare percentage stabilized at 11,6%.
It is striking that the sugar content is disappointing, especially in the northern areas. For example, in the province of Friesland the average sugar content in the fourth campaign week is 15,6% and in Groningen the sugar content is 15,7% in the same period. The head of North Holland also scores relatively low at 15,9% compared to other regions. The percentages are currently the highest in the provinces of North Brabant and Zeeland: between 16% and 16,8%.
Not only do the Netherlands have lower sugar levels, the levels are also quite disappointing in Poland. This is what the European Commission describes. That country is also experiencing quite a few problems with mold this year, as a result of the wet weather conditions. In the MARS report, the European Commission therefore assumes a yield that is 5,6% below the multi-year average, at 57,4 tonnes per hectare. This is slightly lower than last season (-0,1%).
The lower sugar levels also mean lower sugar production. Analysts have therefore adjusted the forecasts significantly downwards in the past period. In the 2020-2021 season, a production of 16 million tons of raw sugar is expected. That is a decrease of 6% compared to last season and a decrease of no less than 12% compared to the 2018/2019 season. As a result, production is reportedly significantly below consumption, which will result in a decrease in European sugar stocks.
Virus and bacteria
Beet cultivation does not happen automatically in France either. The country is struggling the yellowing virus, so a lower yield is not necessarily surprising. The October MARS report assumes 81,6 tonnes per hectare, a decrease of 6,2% compared to the multi-year average. Compared to last season, the sugar beet harvest in France is 3,7% lower.
The European Commission expects that these figures may be even lower, because the consequences of the yellowing virus cannot yet be properly estimated. Cosun also reports that cercospora is present in many European growing regions, including in the Netherlands.