Sunoko, a member of MK Group, has launched this year’s sugar beet processing campaign at its processing centers in Vrbas and Pećinci, with employees traditionally present at the lighting of the furnaces. This year, Sunoko will process around 1.2 million tons of sugar beet from nearly 22,000 hectares, which will result in the production of about 170,000 tons of sugar.
This year in Serbia, sugar beet was sown on 31,000 hectares, but weather conditions posed numerous challenges. Due to a rainy March, sowing began later than planned, and as much as 12% of the sown areas had to be resown due to frost, crust, and wind damage. From the end of May until mid-July, farmers also faced extreme drought and heatwaves.
“Despite unfavorable weather conditions, sugar beet has proven to be more resilient than other field crops and has justified its title as the queen of the fields. On most areas, yields are expected to be at the level of the five-year average. Despite the smaller area sown with sugar beet, this year’s campaign will ensure stable supply of the domestic sugar market, with certain quantities available for export. We continue with continuous investments, cooperation and support for farmers, as well as the development of new technologies, as this is the only way to ensure sustainable production and maintain Serbia’s leading position in the regional sugar market,” said Slobodan Košutić, General Director of Sunoko.
This year, Sunoko’s Research and Development Center also contributed by monitoring diseases and pests and providing farmers with recommendations on how best to protect their crops. It suggested varieties more resistant to drought conditions and offered agronomic measures for better soil moisture conservation. This ensured that the sugar beet leaf was well protected against diseases with fewer fungicide treatments, while crops were preserved during drought. Sunoko will once again offer its contractors the best contracting terms for sugar beet production, which will be announced in September for the 2026 season.