Browse Data and Analysis

Sugar production and exports are projected slightly up in marketing year (MY) 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) because of the increase in productivity yields, harvested area, and additional investments made in the sugar sector and increased exports, as the Honduran Sugar Industry fully recovers from the rainy season in November 2022.

The industrial demand for sugar beets continues to rise, as it provides a higher price, thus incentivizing many farmers to plant more beets. In marketing year (MY) 2022/23 the sugar beets were subject to an outbreak of Rhizomania disease.

Mexico’s sugar production is forecast at 6.25 million metric tons raw value (MMT-RV) in marketing year 2023/24 (October-September), an increase of nearly 3 percent compared to MY 2022/23 based on lower fertilizer costs and a return to average weather conditions.

Sugar cane production in MY 2024 (January-December 2023) is forecast at 9.9 MMT, increasing nearly three percent from the MY 2023 estimate.

Brazil’s Marketing Year (MY) 2023/24 sugarcane crop is forecast to reach 661.4 million metric tons (MMT), which is 6.5 percent larger than MY 2022/23, because of favorable weather conditions and high sugar prices.

EU27 sugar production forecast for market year (MY) 2023/24 is projected at 15.3 million metric tons (MMT), resulting from reduced beet acreage in France and increased plantings in other member states.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Colombia’s sugar production is forecast to increase 2.2 percent to 2.35 million metric tons (MT), due to the end of "La Niña" weather phenomena and the beginning of "El Niño" weather phenomena.

Ecuador's sugar production in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 is forecast to remain at 530,000 MT, the same as the previous year's estimate, despite a significant increase in planted area of sugar cane.

The area planted in sugar beets in MY 2023/24 is forecast marginally higher as some farmers will likely switch to growing beets in hopes of better returns. Despite this increase in acreage, beet sugar production is projected to remain flat year-to-year at 3 million metric tons because of drought conditions.

MY 2022/23 cane sugar production is estimated at 7.92 MMT, revised down 1.08 MMT from the USDA official estimate due to lower-than-normal rainfall in Guangxi, China’s largest sugar producing province. Sugar consumption has begun to rebound since after the removal of COVID-related restrictions. As China’s sugar imports are curbed by high world prices, stocks are likely to decline.

Post forecasts Jamaica’s sugar production down eight percent to 36,000 metric tons (MT) for marketing year (MY) 2023/2024, an outlook that reinforces a trend already underway with past estimates for this waning industry.

Kenya’s sugar production is expected to decline in MY 2023/24 to 650,000 metric tons (MT) due to lower area harvested as Kenya farmers prematurely harvest sugar cane in MY 2022/23 to meet Kenya’s increasing milling demand.