The company Sunoko, a member of the MK Group, together with its partners, agricultural producers, readily welcomed this year’s sugar beet sowing. About 32,500 hectares will be sown for processing in Sunoko’s three sugar mills, from which about 1.8 million tons of sugar beet are expected.
The company has traditionally provided its partners with high-quality raw materials, as well as cash advances for the start of production in the amount of 600 euros per hectare. This year’s sugar beet price is 47 euros per ton for digestion 16%, with a bonus for seeds in the amount of 2 euros per ton and a bonus for farmers whose beets have an above-average sugar content.
„Trends indicate that sugar beet will be the most profitable crop in agriculture this year as well. Sunoko and our Research and Development Center will provide, as before, full support to farmers in order to achieve the highest possible yields and the best possible quality of sugar beet. Our plan for this year is the production of 290,000 tons of sugar”, said Slobodan Košutić, Director General of Sunoko, adding that this amount fully meets domestic needs for this product, but also leaves room for export growth.
„Our strategic plans and sales growth are aimed at increasing Sunoko sugar exports to the European Union and regional markets. Serbia has great potential when we talk about sugar production, and we should use that opportunity for greater placement on the European continent. That is why it is important that we all work together to increase the yield of sugar beet in Serbian fields, and Sunoko is here to help by sharing expertise and the latest scientific knowledge with its partners,” Košutić said.
During 2023, sugar beet production in Serbia was accompanied by challenging conditions, but the yield was at the level of the five-year average. Thanks to Sunoko, Serbia is the only country in the Balkans that is self-sufficient in sugar production and has the potential to further develop as a net exporter of this product.
