France is set for a larger sugar beet harvest thanks to more favorable weather conditions, though low prices continue to pose a challenge for producers, according to growers’ association CGB, which spoke on Wednesday.
For the 2025-26 season, France’s sugar beet crop is projected to reach 36 million metric tonnes, an increase from 32.8 million tonnes last year. This rise is attributed to improved yields, which have offset a slight reduction in the planted area, the CGB explained during a presentation, reported Reuters.
The yield estimate for the upcoming crop, which is still being harvested, stands at 91 tonnes per hectare, compared to 80 tonnes per hectare in 2024-25, the CGB said. The improved yields have been supported by favorable planting conditions and timely rainfall. However, the nationwide yield is expected to fall short of record highs due to damage from the beet yellows virus in certain regions.
Farmers have pointed to France’s ban on neonicotinoid pesticides as a key factor in their vulnerability to beet yellows disease, as the ban has left them with fewer protection options. Despite a court ruling against it, the CGB has reiterated its support for relaxing the ban.
The 2025-26 French harvest is expected to produce 4.3 million tonnes of sugar, up from 4 million tonnes in the previous season, as well as 8.7 million hectolitres of alcohol and ethanol fuel, an increase from 7.6 million hectolitres in 2024-25, according to the CGB’s estimates.
