The harvest of sugar beets in Russia turned out to be below expectations due to unfavorable weather conditions.

According to the data of the Eurasian Sugar Association published on the website of the Union RosagSugar, as of September 9 this year in Russia, sugar beets were harvested on an area of 197.1 thousand hectares, which is 10.4% more than the previous year. However, the volume of sugar beet harvest at the moment is 7 million tons, which is 1.4 million tons less than last year. The average yield is 354 c/ha. In many regions engaged in beet cultivation, the sugar content in it is 2-2.5% higher than last year.

According to the leading expert of the Institute for Agricultural Market Conditions (IKAR) Evgeny Ivanov, the decrease in sugar beet yield in the South and in the Center of Russia will be compensated by an increase in sowing areas and sugar output. According to forecasts, sugar production will amount to no less than 6.1 million tons, taking into account the processing of molasses and syrup.

However, this year the beet harvesting in the South and in the Center is facing difficulties due to dry weather. In some areas, there has been no rain for two to three months, which complicates the harvesting process and increases the risk of root damage. In addition, in the South, there is an increase in beet diseases caused by root rot, which negatively affects the crop quality.

There are also problems with harvesting crops in the southwest of the Kursk region due to ongoing military actions in this region. As a result, some plants have started operating late, which may lead to a decrease in gross sugar beet harvest by 700 thousand tons, to 4.5 million tons. Sugar production in the Kursk region may also decrease by 25 thousand tons, to 500 thousand tons.

According to IKAR estimates, the sugar beet harvesting area this year is 1.17 million hectares. Yield in the South decreased by 32.2% compared to last year and is 337.3 c/ha, in the Central Chernozem region, the yield is 362.3 c/ha compared to 465.6 c/ha last year. However, in the Volga region and Altai, the yield is higher than last year. As of September 9, about 799 thousand tons of sugar were produced, which is 12.6% higher than last year.

In the Krasnodar region, the sugar beet harvest is also complicated by high air temperatures reaching +36 degrees Celsius in mid-September. The yield in this region is also lower than expected. In addition, the quality of beets does not meet expectations due to high temperatures during the growing season.

This season, sugar plants may also face the problem of excess molasses stocks. According to manufacturers, last season molasses could not be sold, and plants were giving it away at the cost of transportation or paying extra for its removal. Therefore, a large amount of molasses has accumulated at the enterprises. The problem may be related to the refusal of some large consumers to use it or a decrease in their volumes.