KYIV, March 30 (Reuters) – The number of sugar refineries which will process the 2023 Ukrainian sugar beet harvest could rise to 29 from 23 last year due to a possible increase in beet output, Interfax Ukraine quoted a senior industry official as saying on Thursday.
Ukraine is a traditional sugar maker but production was hurt last year by the Russian invasion.
Nazar Mykhailovyn, head of the Ukrtsukor sugar union, said an expected rise in 2023 sugar beet sowing area to 220,000 hectares from 181,400 hectares in 2022 was the main reason for a possible rise in beet production.
Mykhailovyn gave no forecast for 2023 white beet sugar production.
Analysts have said Ukraine refined around 1 million tonnes of sugar from the 2022 sugar beet harvest of 9.7 million tonnes.
The agriculture ministry forecast that farmers could harvest 11.3 million tonnes of sugar beet in 2023.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Jason Neely)
((pavel.polityuk@tr.com; +380 44 2449150; Reuters Messaging: pavel.polityuk.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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