Krasnodar Territory produces 1 mln tonnes of sugar by Oct 19

KRASNODAR. Oct 19 (Interfax) - The Krasnodar Territory, Russia's largest sugar-producing region, had produced over 1 million tonnes of sugar by October 19, the regional administration's press service reported, citing Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

"The region's sugar refineries have processed 7.5 million tonnes of sugar beets and have already produced more than 1 million tonnes of sugar. Fourteen facilities in the Kuban region are operating at full capacity," Kondratyev said.

According to him, 232,000 hectares have been planted with sugar beets this year, and the harvest is currently underway.

"Agricultural producers report that yields are twice as high as last year's. Nearly a quarter of all fields have been sown with domestically produced seeds. While this figure may seem modest, just 5-7 years ago, the region was entirely dependent on imports, and we had to start from scratch. Today, our Pervomayskaya Breeding and Experimental Station is developing high-yield hybrids, and the regional government supports farms with subsidies to purchase Russian-grown seeds. We are gradually moving toward complete self-sufficiency in planting material," Kondratyev noted.

According to the regional administration, the Krasnodar Territory accounts for 20% of Russia's total beet sugar production. The Kuban region fully meets its own demand and supplies the surplus to other parts of the country.

Last year, the region produced over 6.6 million tons of sugar beets, resulting in an output of 1.087 million tonnes of sugar. The administration did not provide Interfax with specific production forecasts for the current season.

In addition to sugar beets, the region is continuing the harvest of grain corn, rice, soybeans, and sunflowers. Major agricultural operations are expected to be completed by November 1.