Werbkowice sugar refinery begins processing one million tons of beets

The sugar refinery in Werbkowice, the final facility of Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza S.A. to begin processing this year, has launched its sugar beet campaign. The refinery aims to process nearly one million tons of contracted beets over a 98-day period. The production plan includes 110,000 tons of white sugar during the beet campaign and an additional 40,000 tons during the juice campaign.

While a prolonged drought reduced average yields from over 67 tons to approximately 60 tons per hectare in the Zamość region, the quality of the raw material remains high. Sugar content has reached up to 18 percent, and impurity levels are low at 4–5 percent. Additionally, the presence of the harmful pest szarek komośnik has been minimal this season.

Despite the high quality of the crop, local farmers are expressing significant economic concerns. Rising costs for fuel, fertilizers, and labor have drastically reduced profitability. Some growers report that current purchase prices, around 26 euros, are comparable to rates seen two decades ago, making current production conditions difficult to sustain.