Germany’s sugar output to fall by a quarter after beet acreage cuts

Germany’s beet sugar production in the MY 2026/27 is forecast to fall by around 25% to 3.33 mln tons, down from 4.421 mln tons a season earlier, according to the German sugar industry association WVZ.

One of the main reasons for the decline is a sharp reduction in sugar beet acreage. Plantings fell to 299.97 thsd ha from 348.68 thsd ha a year earlier, after producers encouraged farmers to cut area amid an oversupplied EU sugar market.

Summer drought added further pressure on the crop. Average sugar beet yields are forecast at 71.2 t/ha, down from 82.1 t/ha last season.

As a result, beet deliveries to German sugar factories are expected to decline to 21.37 mln tons from 28.62 mln tons a year earlier. Beet sugar content, however, is forecast to remain broadly unchanged at around 17.6%, supported by prolonged sunny weather during the summer.

Sugar beet harvesting is already underway in Germany, with factories processing the new crop. The expected drop in output follows a season of high sugar supplies in the EU, which was one of the key factors behind the reduction in planted area.

Tags: sugar, Germany