Our harvest update reported 5.07 million tonnes of sugar beet lifted as of 3 November 2026. That figure measures the weight of the roots harvested. Estimating how much white sugar the industry can produce also requires information about beet quality and processing.
Three figures to keep separate
Beet yield is the number of tonnes of beet harvested per hectare. Sugar content is the share of the beet’s weight made up of sucrose. In this article, white sugar yield means the weight of finished white sugar produced per tonne of beet processed.
Two lots of 100 tonnes
Imagine two lots of clean beet, each weighing 100 tonnes. At 16% sugar content, the first contains 16 tonnes of sucrose. At 18%, the second contains 18 tonnes. The difference is two tonnes of sucrose in the raw material, even though the lots weigh the same. These figures are hypothetical and illustrate the calculation.
At the factory, sucrose is extracted from sliced beet. The juice is purified and concentrated before the sugar is crystallised. Some sucrose remains in molasses, the syrup left after the crystals are separated. Soluble impurities in the beet, including potassium and sodium compounds, also affect how much sucrose can be recovered.
What buyers should look for
Harvest reports show how lifting is progressing. Processing reports show how much beet factories have processed. To assess actual output, look for a separate white sugar production figure and check its reporting date. When comparing seasons, check the dates of both snapshots and whether harvesting or processing is still under way.