6 January 2024
In 2023, Ukrainian sugar exports amounted to 506,000 tons with a total value of $390 million.
According to preliminary data from customs statistics, Ukrainian sugar exports in December 2023 amounted to 69,000 tons, compared to 73,000 tons in the previous month and 76,000 tons in October (which was the highest value for one calendar month in recent years).
During the first three months of the new season 2023/24, exports amounted to 218,000 tons compared to 139,000 tons in the corresponding period of the previous marketing year.
As a reminder, according to the management of one of the largest Ukrainian producers and exporters of sugar - the Astarta company - from the point of view of available logistical capabilities, - Ukraine is able to export 70-100 thousand tons of sugar per month, so the current volume figures are close to these expectations.
In total, for the calendar year 2023, the export of sugar from Ukraine amounted to 506,000 tons with a total value of $390 million. For comparison, in 2022, 181,000 tons were exported for $139 million, so in 2023, the volume of exports increased by about three times.
The largest volume of sugar exports in Ukrainian history was in 2017-18, when almost 600,000 tons of the product were exported per year. Therefore, the sugar export figure in 2023 is the third largest in Ukrainian history (our overview of the Ukrainian sugar market is available at the link).
The main direction of Ukrainian exports is the European Union market, the main exporters are the largest sugar producers in Ukraine - Radekhiv-Sukor, Ukrprominvest-Agro and Astarta.
In the first half of the current season, sugar beet is clearly the most profitable crop for Ukrainian farmers, also, in 2023, sugar beet acreage in Ukraine increased significantly, amounting to almost 250,000 ha (184,000 ha a year ago).
The expected production of sugar in 2023 is 1.7-1.8 million tons, with current domestic consumption at the level of 1 million tons, so it can be expected that in the coming months, in the absence of restrictions from European countries, Ukrainian sugar exports will remain active.