Sugar news from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, Aug 17, 2015

RUSSIA

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By August 14 sugar mills in Krasnodar region have passed over the volume of one million tons of sugar beet harvesting, the local Ministry of Agriculture has reported. 14 plants are involved in sugar beet processing in Krasnodar Territory. All together, they have actually processed 866.3 thousand tons of sugar beet, and have produced 103.4 thousand tons of sugar and 22.7 thousand tons of dried pulp.

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According to the monitoring data by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russia in Stavropol Territory and Oryol region the sugar beet was collected from an area of 1.5 and 0.5 thousand hectares, harvested total 69.8 and 12.2 thousand tons, with yields of 46.53 and 52.63 MT/ha respectively. In August 2015 (as of August 10) 15 factories are operating; the volume sugar beet processed has reached 585.3 thousand tons (12.4% more than in the same period of 2014), 64.3 thousand tons of beet sugar produced (9.2% more than in the same period of 2014). Volumes of raw sugar imports in January-August 2015 are 7.5% less than in 2014 (as of August 9). For the week August 10 – 17 the wholesale price of sugar fell by 3.1%, retail price has increased by 2.1%.

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All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) has presented data from a survey dated July 25-26, 2015, according to which 68% of Russians have noticed the growth of sugar prices. The statistical error does not exceed 3.5%.

UKRAINE

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According to the State Statistics Service, the volume of imports of goods listed in category “Sugar and sugar confectionery” have totalled US$ 14,905.3 thousand in January-June 2015, which is 52.5% less than in 2014. Imports from the EU amounted to US$ 8496.5 thousand. The value of exports in this category in January-June 2015 has amounted to US$ 92,266.1 thousand, which is 36.2% more than in 2014. Exports to the EU totalled US$ 17620.7 thousand.

MOLDOVA

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According Soyuzrossakhar, Moldova has produced 180 thousand tons of sugar in 2014 against 75-80 tons consumed, thus, the Moldovan sugar was offered for export at dumped prices that were significantly lower than prices in the EAEC. Moreover, Kazakhstan and Moldova have retained the free trade regime for sugar; wholesale shipments are delivered to Kazakhstan and from there the parcels arrive in Russia.

BELARUS

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According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, the national sugar production has made 48.2 thousand tons in July 2015, which is 15.4 times more compared to June, and 3.9 times more than in July 2014. In the period January-July 2015 the industrial production of sugar in Belarus amounted to 224.8 thousand tons, which is less by 10.3% compared to the same period in 2014

Sugar production in Belarus in January-July 2015, cumulatively, 1000 MT