EU forecasts a gradual reduction in sugar imports to 1 mln tons

Sugar imports to the European Union will slowly decline to 1 million tons by 2035.

This is stated in the EU Agricultural Outlook for 2024-2035 prepared by the European Commission.

The EC predicts that by 2035, sugar production in the EU will slowly decline due to a decrease in yields and sugar beet acreage. Sugar consumption is expected to gradually decline as consumers switch to lower sugar diets, especially as high sugar foods are reduced.

“Although the EU is projected to be a net importer of sugar in most years, its dependence on imports is likely to decrease,” the European Commission said.

After a record increase in sugar prices in 2023, the EU sugar beet area reached a 6-year high in 2024/25 – more than 1.6 million hectares.

Taking into account the decline in sugar prices, the EU predicts a slow reduction in the area under sweet roots to 1.44 million hectares by 2035.

The European Commission expects sugar beet yields to slowly decline due to adverse weather events and reduced access to plant protection products. By 2035, the average sugar beet yield in the EU is expected to stabilize at 72 t/ha.

“As a result of changes in area and yields, EU sugar production is projected to remain relatively stable, declining from an average of 15.4 million tons in 2022-2024 to 15.3 million tons in 2035,” the EU added.

It is expected that isoglucose production in the EU will also change slightly by 0.5 mln tons over the forecast period.

The European Commission also forecasts an annual decrease in sugar consumption in the EU by 0.2%. It is planned that in 2035 it will reach 15.3 million tons.

“It is expected that sugar imports will slowly decline to 1 million tons by the end of the forecast period,” the EC said.

Tags: EU, sugar, imports