Sunoko and sugar beet growers will produce 180.000 tons of sugar this year
The company Sunoko, a member of MK Group, announced that it will produce around 180,000 tons of sugar in its processing centers this year. Despite challenging weather conditions and record-high summer temperatures, this year’s yield from sugar beet producers is estimated at nearly 1.4 million tons, with an average yield of about 42 tons of sugar beets per hectare. The best yield was achieved in Srem, amounting to around 51 tons per hectare, while in Bačka it was about 42 tons per hectare, and in Banat, the yield was the lowest at just 33 tons per hectare.
“The biggest challenge in sugar beet production, as well as in crop production in general, this year has been climate change. Extreme drought was accompanied by record average temperatures in July and August. The climatic conditions have led to a reduction in the estimated yield of sugar beets by about 25% compared to the potential it had in the first half of June. The effects of drought on sugar beets were most visible in the form of leaf drop of up to 90%, leading to plant die-off. In fields where full agronomic practices and protective measures recommended by our Research and Development Center were applied, exceptional results were achieved, demonstrating that we have the technology to handle such conditions,” said Slobodan Košutić, director of Sunoko.
Košutić emphasized at the Sugar Beet Seminar, traditionally held at the end of the year for partners, that the quality of the raw material was unsatisfactory, and seemingly healthy sugar beet roots had a high content of invert sugars. Part of the sucrose was broken down into simple sugars, which led to significant losses during processing. Rotten beets, mostly in Banat and Srem, necessitated a significantly different organization of harvesting, logistics, and reception methods at the factories. It was essential to adjust the technological processes in the sugar factories to the compromised quality of the sugar beets, which resulted in a significant increase in sugar production costs.
“The focus of the Research and Development Center’s work has been on addressing the problem of gummosis in sugar beets and improving leaf protection against cercospora. Trials were set up to examine the effectiveness of insecticides and the timing of their application to control insects that transmit phytoplasma. This pathogen causes rapid wilting of leaves, accompanied by the wilting of roots, which lose firmness, soften, and become ‘gummy.’ Under these conditions, the plant is more susceptible to attacks from other secondary pathogens, resulting in root rot. The set of measures in the fight against phytoplasma vectors, defined by the Research and Development Center last year, yielded above-average results in the fields where they were applied, contributing to excellent root yields even under this year’s conditions,” stated Saša Rajačić, director of the Research and Development Center.
At the seminar, lectures were held by eminent experts in the field of sugar beet protection and mineral nutrition. Sunoko will continue to support agricultural producers next year to ensure a secure and stable supply of sugar to the Serbian market.
