sugar

The turbulent end to the sugar beet processing and sugar production season in Moldova could take on a dramatic turn. If the weather conditions are unfavourable, the season could end, as sugar producers say, ‘even in March next year.’ From their point of view, this is not a major problem. Of course, this is without taking into account the additional risks, costs, guaranteed increase in production costs and the price of the final product – Moldovan sugar.

The sugar season has not yet passed the conditional equator. A lot of sugar beet is still wet in the fields, and it will be good if it does not freeze later. But sugar growers and Moldovan authorities have no doubts that in 2025-26 marketing year the country will have enough of its own sugar (and some more European sugar for balance).

The average value of the sugar price index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in September was 99.4. This is 4.2 points (4.1%) lower than in August this year and 26.9 points (21.3% lower) compared to last year’s level. The current FAO sugar index is the lowest since March 2021 (96.2 points), Logos Press reported.

The current Cabinet of Ministers of Moldova intends to limit duty-free imports of Serbian sugar within the framework of the CEFTA free trade agreement by one thousand tons for a period of 200 calendar days, – reports Logos Press.

The current production and commercial season may become one of the most eventful for the sugar beet complex in Moldova. It started with almost zero stocks of marketable sugar and attempts to expand the area under sugar beet. It continued with the most large-scale death of crops from late spring frosts and no less large-scale reseeding. And it will probably end with a surprisingly good sugar beet harvest and a solid volume of sugar produced. But its prices are unlikely to fully satisfy both sugar producers and sugar consumers.