France’s second-largest sugar producer, Cristal Union, reported a 6.5% increase in sugar production and a 5% rise in alcohol and ethanol output this season, benefiting from the integration of a new refinery and higher sugar beet yields, the cooperative said on Monday, according to Reuters.
For the 2025/26 season, Cristal Union produced 1.6 million metric tons of sugar from sugar beets and 2.1 million hectolitres of alcohol and bioethanol. This compares with 1.5 million tons of sugar and 2 million hectolitres of alcohol and bioethanol in the previous season, excluding output from the refinery acquired from family-owned group Lesaffre in early 2025.
The cooperative said its average beet yield rose to 90 tons per hectare at a reference sugar content of 16%, exceeding the five-year average. Favorable spring weather and July rainfall contributed to the higher yields.
The 7% increase in yield comes as European producers attempt to curb supply amid falling sugar prices. Analysts and sugar makers expect the sugar beet cultivation area to decline by 5–9% in 2026/27, following sharp price drops in recent years, with some producers encouraging members to reduce plantings further.
