Slovakia has been operating with just one sugar refinery for around six months. After the closure of the refinery in Považie, some sugar beet growers moved their production to Sereď, while others stopped growing the crop altogether.
The number of sugar beet growers in Slovakia has fallen from more than 200 to around 150, while the area under cultivation has dropped by seven to eight thousand hectares.
The Sereď refinery is now expanding its capacity and plans to take on more growers next year, increasing the cultivated area by around 100 hectares.
However, drought remains a major challenge. Farmers can currently irrigate only around half of the more than 12,000 hectares of sugar beet fields.
This year's harvest is expected to reach only around 45 to 50 tonnes per hectare. Another risk is the low price of sugar, which also affects the price of sugar beet. The state has therefore increased support for sugar beet cultivation to its highest level so far, but growers say that with a poor harvest, the support must be sufficient to cover their costs.
Source: STVR
