Agrana reports 40% drop in sugar beet supplies due to drought

Agrana, the producer of ‘Wiener Zucker’, expects a 40 percent reduction in sugar beet supplies from Austrian farmers this year due to drought-related harvest failures. The company anticipates an Austrian sugar beet harvest of 1.1 million tons, which is expected to yield approximately 200,000 tons of sugar, compared to the 310,000 tons produced from the previous year's 1.9 million ton harvest.

Despite the decline, Agrana CEO Stephan Büttner stated that there will be no sugar shortage in Austria. The company maintains sufficient sugar stocks and does not need to purchase additional quantities, allowing them to continue supplying the trade normally.

Other Agrana sugar factories in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe are also experiencing significantly lower beet volumes due to dryness. The company previously faced financial difficulties in the 2025/26 fiscal year, reporting a loss of 35.6 million euros and closing production sites in Leopoldsdorf, Austria, and Hrušovany, Czech Republic.