Ukraine produces 1.2-1.3 mln tons of sugar per year with a capacity of 2.2 mln tons/year

Ukrainian sugar factories are capable of producing 2.2 million tons of sugar annually, but currently maintain production at 1.2-1.3 million tons per year. Increasing volumes is impractical due to limited export markets and reduced domestic consumption due to the war. This was stated by the head of the Ukrtsukor association, Yana Kavushevska, on Ukrainian Radio.

“We have 30 factories that can produce sugar. Probably 2.2 million tons, if we had markets where we could sell this sugar stably and with some profit that satisfies producers, it would be quite good. This is what we can optimally grow and process. The optimal load of existing sugar factories is 2.2 million tons,” she said.

The main problem for sugar producers now is export markets, because the domestic market will not be able to absorb the entire volume of products produced. The industry hopes to restore the domestic market at least to the pre-war level, emphasizes Yana Kavushevska.

According to her, before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, but after the loss of part of the territories in the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea, domestic sugar consumption in Ukraine amounted to 1.2-1.3 million tons. After the start of the great war, domestic consumption decreased to 0.9 million tons. Thanks to the opening of the European market for Ukrainian agricultural products in 2022-2024, sugar producers were able to supply 300 thousand tons to Europe. However, now the restrictions have been restored, and Ukrainian sugar producers need to find other export markets for these 300 thousand tons.

In general, the industry is very disappointed with the quotas for sugar supplies to the European Union announced in the spring of 2025, which were planned at the level of 67 thousand tons. Currently, this volume of supplies has increased by 107 thousand tons of sugar, however, in previous years, the volume of supplies to the EU reached 473 thousand tons.

According to the head of Ukrsugar, in 2025, Ukrainian farmers reduced the production area under sugar beet to 220 thousand hectares, which is 15.4% less than last year’s figures. At the same time, in 2024, the sugar industry demonstrated record export figures – over 740 thousand tons, thanks to which Ukraine received over $420 million in revenue.

Tags: Ukraine, sugar