Ukrainian sugar storms the world market: exports reached almost half a million tons

Ukraine is significantly increasing its presence in the global sugar market - as of May 1, 2025, 494 thousand tons of this product had already been exported from the country since the beginning of the 2024/25 marketing year, which started on September 1, 2024. Such data was published by the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine "Ukrtsukor".

According to official statistics, in just four months - from January to April 2025 - sugar exports amounted to 196.6 thousand tons. The main share of supplies, namely 90%, was sold on the world market outside the European Union. At the same time, EU countries imported 10% of the total volume of exported Ukrainian sugar.

The largest buyer of Ukrainian sugar during the specified period was Turkey - its share accounted for 16% of all exports. Libya took second place with 11%, and the European Union took third place, where 10% of the volume was sent.

In the first six months of the marketing year, that is, from September 2024 to February 2025, Ukraine exported 403.5 thousand tons of sugar. Of these, the vast majority — 98.4% — went to the world market. Only 1.6% fell to EU countries, which indicates high demand for Ukrainian products outside the European community.

Minister of Agrarian Policy Vitaly Koval emphasized the importance of the sugar industry as one of the key sectors of the economy. According to him, it has strong potential not only in the production of traditional sugar, but also in the production of value-added products. The government pays special attention to the prospects for processing raw materials into bioethanol, biogas, biomethane and the development of livestock farming as a related direction.

Koval also called on Ukrainian producers to invest more actively in modern processing technologies, which will not only increase profitability, but also strengthen Ukraine's position in foreign markets in the long term. Given the current geopolitical situation and high demand for food products, the industry has every chance of becoming a driver of Ukraine's agricultural exports.