Nordzucker Post 3/2025 - 2 September 2025

Well prepared for the 2025/2026 campaign and strong together for the future

Dear readers, 

The starting signal for the 2025/2026 campaign has been given. The first organically grown beet is currently being processed at the Schladen factory, Lower Saxony, with the other sites following suit by mid-September. As things stand today, we expect the campaign to last until mid-January.  

So, business as usual? Yes and no. First, the good news: we are well prepared for the campaign. We have used the maintenance period to get the factories ready, service the equipment and further modernise it to ensure stable and efficient operation. We have also received mostly positive signals from our growers so far: the beets have sprouted well in many places and have developed favourably in most regions. 

However, it is still too early to make a reliable forecast. The weather conditions in the coming weeks, until the beet is harvested, will be decisive for further growth and, above all, for sugar formation.  

One risk in beet cultivation that is currently difficult to assess is the increasing pressure from disease. How severely will diseases such as Syndrome Basses Richesses (SBR) and Stolbur affect the yield and sugar content of the beets? They are transmitted by the “Schilf-Glasflügelzikade”*, whose spread is facilitated by climate change. I can assure you that we are taking this issue very seriously. We are working intensively with the agricultural sector, associations, politicians and scientists to develop countermeasures. In selected regions, we are testing crop rotations to control the cicada. At the same time, we are working with partners such as the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), Fraunhofer and the Institute for Sugar Beet Research (IfZ) to advance research on the “Schilf-Glasflügelzikade”, the pathogens it transmits and the diseases it causes.  

Plant diseases, climate change, decarbonisation, price fluctuations – the challenges are manifold. The sugar market also remains tense. Despite comprehensive internal optimisation measures to stabilise our results, we must assume that we will not be able to avoid a negative result in this financial year given the market situation.  

We are all noticing that the economic rollercoaster ride continues. This makes the clear signal sent by the Annual General Meeting in July all the more important. The course we have set for the future was confirmed by a large majority. On behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to thank all shareholders and the Supervisory Board for their support.  

Under the title Fields for Growth, we are focusing on two areas of action: strengthening the profitability of our core business and growth through diversification outside the EU sugar market. The clear focus on sustainability, excellence and growth outside the EU sugar market is an important step in remaining successful even in a challenging market environment. This gives us momentum for the coming period.  

With kind regards, 

Lars Gorissen, CEO 

*Pentastiridius leporinus