News and views

As I browse the web researching various topics concerning the EU and UK sugar markets, I've been bookmarking interesting weblinks. Some of these are news clippings, some are links to official documents, and some are interesting data sources.

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4/3/2024

European Parliament

The dependency of the EU’s food system on inputs and their sources - European Parliament report

This study analyses the vulnerabilities of the EU food system regarding inputs, describing the tools to secure those inputs and make the EU less dependent on foreign suppliers. It provides recommendations for appropriate measures to increase the EU food system’s resilience to disruptions in trade flows and price increases of imported inputs.

4/3/2024

gov.uk

Emergency pesticide authorisation to protect UK sugar beet crop conditionally approved

The pesticide will only be used if there is a threat to the crop, and stringent controls are attached to protect the environment. This year’s threshold for use is at the highest level it has ever been set. Even if the threshold is passed, further conditions will be applied to minimise the risk to the environment. The application of the neonicotinoid pesticide protects crops against viruses to safeguard food production, while the threshold attached to its application helps protect the wider environment.

4/3/2024

ED&F Man

ED&F Man Sugar increases sales of responsibly sourced sugars in 2023

As one of the world’s largest sugar traders, ED&F Man Sugar understands the importance of responsible sourcing as part of our commitment to sustainability. By bringing certified sugars to a broad customer base, we help to meet consumer demand for sustainable products while also supporting producer communities through improved earnings. For our fiscal year 2023 (which ended in September 2023), we reached new levels of certified Fairtrade and Bonsucro sugar sales.

3/3/2024

Le Betteravier français

TotalEnergies will produce biogas from Cristal Union pulp

The pulps from the Fontaine-le-Dun sugar refinery (Seine-Maritime) will supply one of the largest methane digesters in France, which will ultimately produce 153 GWh per year. A first for a sugar group.

2/3/2024

European Commission

WTO MC13: No agreement on Agriculture

Despite the leading efforts of the EU and other Members to find compromises towards an agreement, the WTO could not agree on advancing agriculture reform at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) which ended Friday in Abu Dhabi. The divergences across the membership were too large to be solved. This failure is unfortunately to the detriment of the most vulnerable countries who count most on the multilateral trading system.

1/3/2024

BBRO

Forecast incidence of virus yellows in UK for 2024 is 83% - BBRO

The forecasted incidence of virus yellows for 2024 is 83%, according the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO). The date of first arrival of aphids in crops in 2024 is forecasted from the 10th of April. The forecasted virus level is above the threshold of 65% required to trigger the use of the neonictinoid Cruiser SB on seed in 2024. In 2023, the forecast was 67.5% with a threshold of 63% and aphid arrival date of 22nd of April. Seed treatment was applied to 60% of the crop in 2023.

1/3/2024

Nieuwe Oogst

Dutch sugar beet area to increase by almost 7 percent

Dutch sugar beet growers have ordered seed for 86,500 hectares for the coming growing season. This means that the area of sugar beet in the Netherlands is increasing by almost 7 percent.

27/2/2024

The Parliament Magazine

How can we build a more sustainable and competitive food and drink industry? The European soft drinks sector’s vision for the next EU political term

The European soft drinks sector plays an important role in the agri-food field. We manufacture over 97% of soft drinks here in Europe within our network of more than 500 production facilities across Europe. We are proud to be a sector with a strong local presence, supporting over 1.8 million jobs, both directly and throughout our supply chain – a value chain that is estimated to be worth €242 billion annually – and we source more than 85% of our ingredients from European farms. We are also a sector that takes its responsibility. We drive positive change by promoting the health and well-being of consumers, and advancing sustainability in all areas of our business, including by increasing the circularity of our beverage containers. In the spirit of our continued commitment to sustainable and transformative strides, our EU Manifesto rests on three key pillars: competitiveness, health and environment. Here are just a few of our top policy ambitions and our asks to policymakers to help our sector to drive further progress:

27/2/2024

European Commission

Fighting against unfair trading practices: European Commission gathers views from farmers and operators in the food supply chain

The European Commission is calling farmers and all smaller suppliers across the food supply chain to share their views on their experience with unfair trading practices. A survey is currently available online in all EU languages until 15 March 2024. During the recent weeks farmers and their associations raised concerns about prevalence of unfair practices within the food supply chain. By participating in the survey, farmers and smaller suppliers can express their concerns and share their experience with unfair trading practices. After presenting options for simplification to reduce the burden for EU farmers, the Commission is also working on actions to improve the position of farmers in the food chain and to improve the enforcement against unfair trading practices.

26/2/2024

Irish Farmers Journal

Chef Jordan Bailey: 'the sugar industry doesn’t exist in Ireland anymore'

Global sugar production and the sad history of Irish sugar is a complex subject, often producing more questions than answers, writes Janine Kennedy in the first of a two-week series.

23/2/2024

CIBE

European Commission JRC study confirms the vulnerability of EU beet sugar sector - CIBE

European Commission Joint Research Centre study on the cumulative impacts of 10 free trade agreements confirms that the EU’s trade policy is having systematic and significant negative impacts on EU beet sugar production and value, according to CIBE. Results are underestimated due to a baseline that hides Brexit negative impacts; do not address current Ukrainian sugar imports & ignores Green Deal impacts; and concludes that European trade policy needs fundamental change. Tariff-rate quotas don't provide effective protection for sensitive and strategic products such as sugar, CIBE said in a press release.

23/2/2024

European Commission

“Stop imports, Green Deal out” is not a statement of Janusz Wojciechowski's position

In a public statement, the EU Agriculture Commissioner Mr Janusz Wojciechowski said that “Stop imports, Green Deal out” is a summary of the demands that I (Mr Wojciechowski) have heard from farmers over the course of several meetings and interactions in recent weeks. It is not a statement of my position. Let me make my position clear. In relation to imports, I have made clear that farmers must be protected against the significant impacts of trade liberalisation with Ukraine and any unfair competition in our trade agreements. In relation to sustainability, I recognise the threat that many farmers have felt from some Green Deal initiatives, and I believe that the Commission is responding, for example, in President Von der Leyen's recent withdrawal of the SUR proposal.

23/2/2024

NFU

Sugar prices remain at very high levels - NFU Sugar Beet Brief

In NFU Sugar's February report, NFU Sugar Commercial and Market Insight Manager Arthur Marshall takes a deep dive into current EU and UK sugar prices and what the expectation is for the 2024/25 campaign. Highlights: EU/UK white sugar prices have continued to climb to unprecedented levels in 2023/24 but expected to be lower in 2024/25. Margin between beet cost and sugar prices exceptionally high even with beet at £40/t. World sugar market in balanced position at current prices, until new news emerges.

22/2/2024

British Sugar

British Sugar 2023-24 Campaign End Dates

Given the wet conditions, we will be reducing slice rates at our Bury St Edmunds, Cantley and Wissington factories for the next week. This will support increasing the campaign length, to allow growers to deliver to their contracted factory. We will continue to maximise the slice rate at Newark with available beet supply. The new expected campaign end dates for each site are as follows: Bury St Edmunds: 11th March Wissington: 15th March Cantley: 28th March Newark: 28th March This is a worst-case end date for Bury St Edmunds, which will remain open after 6th March on a day-by-day basis, subject to sufficient beet supply. We are providing this range to give as much transparency as possible and allow growers the ability to plan.

22/2/2024

European Parliament

European Parliament adopts position on EU Customs Code reform

On Thursday, the Internal Market Committee adopted its position on the EU Customs Code reform that will restructure the way customs authorities work in the EU. => Customs procedures to be simplified and harmonised for the benefit of companies and authorities => New obligations for goods ordered online from outside the European Union. => New EU DataHub to replace more than 111 systems currently used in the EU

22/2/2024

European Commission JRC

New trade agreements to result in positive cumulative impact on EU agri-food trade balance

Ten upcoming free trade agreements (FTA) will diversify trade sources, thus improve the resilience of EU food supply chains, according to a new JRC study. On the flipside, certain sectors, such as beef, sheep meat, poultry, rice, and sugar, are expected to face increased competition from the 10 FTA partners. Responding to the JRC study, the sugar beet growers association CIBE and sugar beet processors association CEFS said the increasing requirements of the EU Green Deal combined with the “poor social and environmental conditions” in the EU’s trade partners are not considered, nor “the impacts of trade-distorting subsidies,” citing subsidies provided in India. The associations call for fundamental change in the EU’s trade policy needs, arguing that tariff-rate quotas do not effectively protect sensitive, strategic products such as sugar.

21/2/2024

British Agriculture Bureau

Denmark proposes CO2 tax on farming

On Wednesday 21 February 2024, an expert group commissioned by the Danish government and parties at the Danish Parliament presented proposals for how Danish agriculture can reduce its emissions including the introduction of a farming emissions tax of 750 Danish crowns (€101) per tonne emitted.

21/2/2024

European Council

Ukraine and Moldova: Council adopts its negotiating mandate to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas

The ambassadors of the EU member states agreed today on the Council’s negotiating mandate on two legislative proposals which aim to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian and Moldovan exports to the EU for another year. The proposal concerning autonomous trade measures for Ukraine aims to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas for another year (from 6 June 2024 to 5 June 2025), while reinforcing protection for sensitive agricultural products, by beefing up the safeguard measures already included in the current regulation (EU) 2023/1077 and including a new automatic safeguard for certain sensitive products. The proposal concerning autonomous trade measures for Moldova aims to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas for another year (from 25 July 2024 to 24 July 2025), while reinforcing protection for sensitive agricultural products, by beefing up the safeguard measures already included in the current regulation (EU) 2023/1524.

19/2/2024

Euronews

Over half of von der Leyen’s food policy promises weren’t met, analysis shows

Repeated delays and a farmer-led green policy backlash have left the flagship “Farm to Fork” strategy in doubt. In 2020, the European Commission unveiled its “Farm to Fork” food strategy – yet over half of its promises are still unmet, an analysis by Euronews has found. It’s supposedly a flagship element of the EU’s environmentally-focused green deal, but there’s been a recent high-profile backlash by protesting farmers. Of the 31 actions promised as part of Farm to Fork, 15 have not got off the ground – and one, a contentious proposal on pesticides, was even withdrawn by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

19/2/2024

Loopnews St Lucia

Regionally produced brown sugar available, says Sugar Association of the Caribbean

The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) is advising that there’s no need to import brown sugar as there are many options available in the region. SAC made this clear as it noted it was deeply concerned about local media reports from St Lucia that suggest that a shortage of brown sugar on the island has created a need to import extra-regional brown sugar. SAC Chairman Mac McLachlan says, “SAC recognises that sugar supply and demand is a serious business, but we can confirm regionally produced brown sugar is available.” He continued, “There are four countries and eight producers of sugar in CARICOM. So, there are plenty options that can be exercised without shopping extra-regionally.” He concluded by saying, “The regional sugar industry is playing its part in achieving the ‘25 % x 2025 food-import-reduction target’ agreed by CARICOM Member States, and heavily promoted by regional Ministers of Agriculture.

13/2/2024

European Parliamentary Research Service

EU ‘farm to fork’ strategy: State of play

Generally greeted as a long‑awaited move towards a more sustainable food system, the ‘farm to fork’ strategy nevertheless came under criticism as it was not accompanied by an impact assessment, even though various studies warned that some of the elements risked having a negative effect on agricultural production. The Commission assured that impact assessments would be available for individual initiatives. In the wake of the pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine, a debate has emerged around whether the sustainability goals harm or improve food security. In January 2024, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change criticised the Commission’s failure to deliver some of the initiatives. The Board considered that for agricultural emissions to decrease, more adequate financial incentives for farmers are needed. Currently, none of the remaining initiatives are included in the Commission’s tentative agenda.

13/2/2024

IntelliNews

Ukrainian sugar industry at risk as EU mulls import curbs

The Ukrainian sugar industry faces a dire threat as the EU considers imposing restrictions on sugar exports from Ukraine, potentially leading to the closure of sugar factories, warned the acting chair of the board of the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine, Nazar Mykhailovyn, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

13/2/2024

BEUC

BEUC recommendations to better align EU trade policy with the Green Deal

The consumer movement fully supports a European Green Deal that works for consumers, says BEUC. Yet, research shows that trade policy is insufficiently coherent with the Green Deal. To better align both policies, the EU should adapt its laws, make sure they are enforced and improve the content of its trade agreements.

9/2/2024

Cristal Union

Cristal Union: beet campaign continues to be marked by difficult climatic conditions

The beet season, which is coming to an end, will continue to be marked by difficult climatic conditions, with abundant and continuous rains in the middle of the season, followed by frost and mild spells at the end of the season. However, the average agricultural yield remains within the 5-year average, at more than 86 tonnes of beet at 16° per hectare. Cristal Union's industrial sites have been able to adapt their activities to the constraints of the year. In an average of 115 days of the campaign, industrial activity was carried out successfully, with energy ratios further optimised. Despite the heavy rains, the factories were able to be supplied throughout the season, which lasted from mid-September 2023 to early February 2024, with few slowdowns. During the campaign period, the 8 sugar factories and 2 distilleries produced more than 1.3 million tonnes of sugar and more than 1.6 million hectolitres of alcohol and bioethanol from beets.

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