During the first nine months of the 2025/26 marketing year, Ukrainian sugar producers significantly changed the geography of their exports, focusing the main supplies on Middle Eastern countries. This region has become the main buyer of Ukrainian sugar, purchasing half of the total exported volume.
This is reported by Finway
Leading Export Destinations for Ukrainian Sugar
From September to May, Ukraine exported 504 thousand tons of sugar. The largest markets became:
- Lebanon — 21% of the total export volume;
- European Union countries — 18%;
- Syria — 14%;
- Uzbekistan — 12%.
These figures indicate a significant restructuring of the export policy of Ukrainian sugar producers, who are actively developing cooperation with Middle Eastern countries and expanding distribution to other promising markets.
Reduction of Beet Plantings and Challenges for the Industry
Amid high export demand, the situation regarding the future harvest of sugar beets remains tense. In May, Ukrainian farmers completed the planting campaign with one of the lowest results in the history of the independent state. The area planted with sugar beets this year amounted to only 162.1 thousand hectares, which is 18% less than in 2025. This is an absolute record low for all years of independence.
“This year’s area under the crop was only 162.1 thousand hectares – this is 18% less than the figures for 2025 and is an absolute record low in the entire history of Independent Ukraine.”
Such rates of reduction in planted areas raise concerns about the stability of sugar production in the coming seasons, especially in light of increasing global competition and changing consumer trends.
International Sugar Consumption Trends
The situation in the Ukrainian sugar market reflects global trends. According to materials from an industry conference in Dubai, cited by Reuters, global sugar consumption in the 2026/27 season is expected to grow by only 0.5%. Experts already characterize this as a “new normal” after many years of stable demand growth at around 2% per year. Over the past 50 years, total global sugar consumption has nearly doubled, but now the pace is slowing down.
The main drivers of this process are considered to be developed countries, where sugar consumption is consciously being reduced. According to the International Sugar Organization (ISO), in the last two years, consumption figures in Western Europe have decreased by 6.7%, and in the USA — by 4.4%.
Analysts note that these factors, along with weather risks, particularly in Asia and Brazil, are influencing the revision of global sugar production forecasts.