The beet campaign of Tiense Suiker is "disappointing" this year, according to Erwin Boonen, director of raw materials, on Tuesday. Both in terms of the number of sugar beets delivered and the sugar content in those beets, it is a disappointing campaign. The sugar factory previously announced that it will reduce the area by 15 percent this year.Because good yields have been registered in the rest of Europe, there is, across Europe as a whole, a small overproduction of sugar. "Across the entire Südzucker Group (to which Tiense Suikerraffinaderij belongs, ed.), we will therefore enter into contracts for 15 percent less surface area of ​​beets next year. This should keep production and supply more in balance," Boonen explains. "We look to the future with confidence, but we must continue to adapt to the circumstances. More rapprochement with a large sugar producer such as Ukraine, the Mercosur agreement, the disappearance of certain crop protection products: it will all have an impact." "Between September and October, the European sugar price fell by 150 euros, while it fell further in November. Currently, the price is around 600 euros. A year ago, it was about 850 euros," says Boonen. According to him, this is not enough for profitable sugar processing. "For sustainable, future-oriented sugar beet cultivation, with the necessary investments, at least 700 euros is needed," he says.