Cristal Union reports higher sugar, ethanol output in 2025/26

Bonduelle SA

09/02/2026 11:57

PARIS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - France's second-largest sugar maker Cristal Union produced about 6.5% more sugar and 5% more alcohol and ethanol this season after integrating a new refinery and benefiting from higher sugar beet yields, it said on Monday.

The cooperative told Reuters it produced 1.6 million metric tons of sugar from beets and 2.1 million hectolitres of alcohol and bioethanol in 2025/26.

That compared with 1.5 million tons of sugar and 2 million hectolitres of alcohol and bioethanol last season, excluding output from the refinery it took over from family group Lesaffre early 2025.

Cristal Union's average beet yield rose to 90 tons per hectare at a reference sugar content of 16%, above the five-year average, helped by favourable spring weather and July rainfall, it said in a statement.

The 7% increase from last season's yields comes as producers try to curb supply amid falling prices.

European sugar makers and analysts expect the sugar beet area to fall between 5% and 9% in 2026/27 after sharp price declines in recent years and some producers urge members to cut plantings further.

 (Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide. Editing by Mark Potter)

 ((Sybille.deLaHamaide@thomsonreuters.com; +336 8774 4148;))