EU Sugar Production to Decline by 15% in 2026–2027 Season

11:51 - 3.07.2026

July 3, Fineko/abc.az. Sugar production in the European Union is expected to decline in the 2026–2027 season, mainly due to a reduction in the area planted with sugar beet.

According to a forecast by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, sugar beet will be cultivated on 1.224 million hectares across the EU, down 8.4% from 1.336 million hectares a year earlier. In the 2024–2025 season, the crop covered 1.512 million hectares.

Despite the ongoing heatwave, the European Commission expects sugar beet yields to remain close to the long-term average. Slightly above-average yields are forecast in Italy, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and Belgium, while growing conditions remain generally favorable across most of the EU.

The EU produced 16.579 million tonnes of sugar in the 2025–2026 season. For the 2026–2027 season, sugar production is forecast to fall by 15% to 14.130 million tonnes.