Germany faces historic sugar beet harvest drop

A severe summer drought and heatwave across southern Germany have crippled the sugar beet crop. The Verband Süddeutscher Zuckerrübenanbauer reported that yields could fall by about one‑third compared with the previous year, marking the lowest harvest since German reunification.

Executive Paul‑Martin Pfeuffer warned that the combination of extreme temperatures, prolonged dryness and spreading diseases such as SBR and Stolbur has left many plants stressed, producing a gummy texture and reducing extractable sugar.

The association, which represents roughly 10 000 growers on about 100 000 ha and supplies seven processing plants, expects the shortfall to push up consumer sugar prices. France, Europe’s largest beet‑growing nation, is also suffering from the heat, adding further pressure to the market.