Slovakia will produce significantly less of its own sugar this year. While the country had previously been fully self-sufficient in sugar production, domestic supply is now expected to cover only around 60 percent of demand. The decline follows the closure of the sugar refinery in Trenčianska Teplá. Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (SMER-SD) said the government had explored the possibility of buying the plant or finding a private investor, but the German owner showed no interest in selling the operation.
The closure has also affected farmers in the surrounding regions, with many reducing the amount of sugar beet they planted after losing a nearby processor. According to Róbert Kovács, chairman of the Slovak Sugar Beet Growers Association, the total area used for sugar beet cultivation in Slovakia dropped sharply — from almost 19,500 hectares last year to just over 12,000 hectares this season. That represents only around 60 to 65 percent of the country’s usual production levels.
Slovakia is now left with just one remaining sugar processor — the refinery in Sereď, operated by Slovenské cukrovary. Company director Adrián Šedivý said the refinery had expanded its processing capacity and tried to take on as many growers as possible in an effort to maintain the highest possible level of domestic self-sufficiency. He added that further investments and projects were also being planned.
Until now, sugar had been the last major food commodity in which Slovakia remained fully self-sufficient. In recent years, however, the country has also lost self-sufficiency in egg production, as well as in cow’s milk production following the dairy crisis about a decade ago.
Source: STVR
