Sugar beet harvesting campaign is almost over, but many farms are still working in the fields. According to the experts, sugar production will amount to 1.2-1.25 million tons, which should be enough for domestic consumption.
In early December, the weather conditions were frosty with strong winds, but despite this, farmers continued sugar beet harvesting. In particular, the most active campaign was in Rivne, with sugar beet crop to be harvested on the area of 1.5 thousand hectares, Khmelnytsk region (over 1 thousand hectares), Ternopil (900 hectares) and Lviv regions. It is hoped that the crop residues will not remain in the fields, but will be processed.
The sugar amount, given the transitional stocks and the declining population of the country, should be enough for domestic consumption.
Unfavorable weather conditions became the main reason for the year of poor crops. After all, the harvested area was almost at the last year’s level, but drought reduced beet yield, compared to 2019, by almost 4 ton/ha, to 42.27 ton/ha.
In terms of regions, the biggest sugar beet croppage has traditionally been received in Vinnytsia region – more than 2.1 million tons, an average of 43,53 ton/ha. 1 million tons of beets were harvested in Poltava region, where the large area was sown with sugar beets, but due to unfavorable weather conditions the crops did not get the necessary conditions. As a result, farms harvested 39.5 ton/ha, although last year the yield was 42.64 ton/ha.
Cherkasy (32.91 ton/ha) and Kirovohrad regions (29.12 ton/ha) also got disappointing beet yields. Donetsk region registered decreased yields too (21.33 ton/ha), however, this year, the sown area amounted to only 400 ha of beets.
Volyn (55 ton/ha) and Lviv regions (51.8 ton/ha) became the leaders in beet yields and harvested, respectively, 7.9 thousand hectares and 12.6 thousand hectares. (Ukrsugar/Business World Magazine)