FAS/Moscow forecasts Russia’s sugar beet production in 2014 at 39 million metric tons (MMT), the same level as 2013. Sugar beet planted area is forecast to increase from 906,000 hectares in 2013 to 930,000 hectares in 2014 but beet yields are expected to fall from the record yields of 2013. FAS/Moscow forecasts that 37 MMT of this projected 39 MMT crop will be processed and that production of beet sugar in MY 2014/15 will be the same as in MY 2013/14 – 4.4 MMT. The domestic consumption of raw sugar has stabilized in the last 3 years at approximately 5.5 – 5.6 MMT, of which domestic production of raw sugar from sugar beets comprises approximately 80-85 percent. FAS/Moscow forecasts imports of raw sugar at 1.1 MMT, compared to the estimated 1.15 MMT’s imports in MY 2013/14. This will include 0.8 MMT’s imports of raw cane sugar (the same volume as in 2014), and 0.3 MMT of refined sugar (raw equivalent), compared to 0.35 MMT in MY 2014. Russia’s exports of sugar are forecast at less than 0.05 MMT.
