Areas with sugar beets in Ukraine as of March 26, 2019 reached 20,000 ha, or 10% of the projections, the press service of the Ukrtsukor national association of sugar producers has reported.
According to the association, 11,000 ha were sowed with beets in Khmelnytsky region, 3,500 ha in Rivne, 2,700 ha in Volyn and 2,400 ha in Ternopil regions.
The association said that early sowing on 10% of the areas is thanks to the low soil moisture after winter, most beet growers plan to start sowing in the first decade of April.
As reported, Ukrtsukor predicts a reduction in the areas with sugar beet by 20%, to 220,000-230,000 hectares due to low prices in the past two years against the backdrop of a global sugar surplus. Sugar production in the 2019/2020 agricultural year (September-August) is projected at 1.5-1.6 million tonnes (in 2018/2019 agri-year 1.82 million tonnes).
Ukraine in the first half of 2018/2019 agri-year exported 274,400 tonnes of sugar, which is 6% less than in the previous season.
