USDA ERS: Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook April 15, 2026

Sugar and Sweeteners Outlook April 15, 2026

U.S. Sugar Outlook

U.S. 2025/26 Beet Sugar Production Is Lowered

U.S. beet sugar production for fiscal year 2025/26 is lowered from last month by 33,000 short tons

raw value (STRV) to 5.060 million short tons, raw value (STRV) (table 1)—more than 300,000-

STRV lower (6 percent) than the previous year and the lowest level since the freeze-reduced

output in 2019/20. This month’s reduction is driven by changes to beet processors’ estimates that

were published on the USDA, Farm Service Agency, Sweetener Market Data (SMD) February

2026 report. This report reflected larger sugarbeet pile shrink and lower sucrose recovery that were

only offset by an increase in sugar produced from desugared molasses (table 2). The increased

sugarbeet shrink and reduced sucrose recovery can be partly attributed to warmer-than-normal

February temperatures that spanned several days, particularly in the major-producing Red River

Valley region. Frozen sugarbeets stored in outdoor piles may thaw if the air temperature warms too

quickly and if warm conditions extend multiple days.

USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its Prospective Plantings report on

March 31, which indicated that sugarbeet growers intend to plant 1.063 million acres for the

upcoming 2026/27 crop year. This planting implies a 16,000-acre decrease (1.5 percent) from the

2025/26 area planted and a 69,000-acre decrease (6.1 percent) relative to last year’s prospective

plantings. Beet processors determine planted area mainly based on optimizing sugarbeet slicing

capacity for the upcoming campaign, as well as by expected returns.

NASS Crop Progress report for the week ending April 12 indicated that sugarbeet plantings in the 4

major-producing States reached 9 percent, comparable to last year (10 percent) and the 5-year

average (9 percent). Sugarbeet plantings in Idaho are about half-way done (versus last year’s 52

percent and the last 5 years’ 35 percent) and 1 percent done in Michigan (behind last year’s 2

percent and the 5-year average’s 15 percent). Meanwhile, planting has not started in the Red River

Valley, in line with the timing in the last 5 years.

Vidalina Abadam, coordinator