Russian sugar production expected to decline
The area sown in Russia with sugar beets for this year’s crop has shrunk 2.5% year-on-year to 798,000 hectares, according to the Russian Sugar Producers’ Union.
This means that output of sugar from this year’s crop is likely to decline to 3.1 million tonnes from last year’s record 3.5 million tonnes.
Russia was the world’s largest sugar buyer until it was overtaken by the European Union in 2008/09. The country consumed 5.7 million tonnes of white sugar in 2008. The lobby has said consumption could fall by some 300,000 tonnes due to the financial crisis, which may cut output of confectionery, soft drinks and ice cream.
