OREANDA-NEWS. September 05, 2014. According to the revised forecast of the USP, in 2014, the sugar beet harvest will be the highest for the last decade – about 1,25-1,30 million tons (forecast month ago was below 250-300 thousand tons).

Of this amount, not less than 170 thousand tons of sugar will be gathered. Another 20 thousand tons of the last year's sugar remain in warehouses of sugar factories. At the same time, as it is stated in USP, this year has worsened the situation of the regional market of sugar. "The estimated size of the domestic market of Moldova in the future marketing year taking into account the negative trend of the previous years and the crisis in the domestic wine and canning industry is unlikely to exceed 60-65 thousand tons (formerly domestic market made up 90 thousand tons). Guaranteed quota for duty-free export of sugar to the European Union for 2015 is 37.4 thousand tons.

The introduction of customs duties on the Moldovan sugar in the amount of USD340 by Russia since September 1 deprives its delivery to this country. The sugar producers are forced to sell sugar at a lower price, and are not able to cover the cost of its production," says the Union of sugar producers.

At the same time, there are risks of imports carried out by the company Magt Vest, which is not a member of the USP of the cane raw sugar for further processing. "The open access of cane raw sugar in Moldova will entail the abolition of free access sugar export markets of the EU and the countries of the Customs Union. This means the elimination of domestic sugar beet and the collapse of the sugar industry,-" the Union of sugar producers of Moldova states.