Drought, heat, and disease are taking a toll on sugar beets. As a result, sugar production in southern Germany is expected to be one-third lower than last year, according to the Association of Southern German Sugar Beet Growers in Ochsenfurt, Lower Franconia. The harvest is expected to be the lowest since German reunification, said Managing Director Paul-Martin Pfeuffer.
The association anticipates an impact on consumer prices, as harvests are also poor elsewhere. France, Europe’s largest sugar beet-producing country, is suffering from extreme heat and drought, “which carries weight in the market,” said Pfeuffer. “When key growing regions are struggling, we expect a reaction.”
While most grain fields have already been harvested, midsummer remains a critical phase for sugar beets, as they continue to grow in size and sugar content. However, due to the persistent drought, the plants have stopped growing in many places, the report continued. Even in locations with normally good water supplies, the crops are showing clear symptoms of drought stress.
