Ukrainian producers exported 504 thousand tonnes of sugar during three quarters of the current marketing year. According to the national sugar producers’ association Ukrtsukor, foreign sales remain strong even as the next production cycle faces a smaller beet area.
The largest buyers were Lebanon, the European Union, Syria and Uzbekistan. Taken together, Middle Eastern countries purchased half of all Ukrainian sugar exported during the period, making the region the main outlet for producers.
Exports grow as sowing shrinks
The export geography reflects both demand and disrupted logistics in other regions. Central Asian buyers have become more active as supply patterns through the Persian Gulf changed, creating space for Ukrainian producers.
At the same time, Ukraine completed sugar beet sowing with the smallest area recorded since independence. Farmers planted 162.1 thousand hectares, which is 18 percent less than last year. Vinnytsia region remained the leading beet-growing region.
The contrast matters for the market. Strong exports support currency inflows and factory utilization, but a smaller beet area can affect future raw material supply and production planning. Producers will need to balance external demand with the realities of the next harvest.
