2023-10-07 07:09:59
Affected by climatic hazards or even the war in Ukraine, the price of sugar is at its highest level in 12 years. But this increase barely manages to compensate for the difficult context of recent years for producers, while it weighs on inflation.
Most food products are affected by inflation, and sugar in particular. A tonne trades for more than 700 francs on the world market, whereas it was worth less than 300 before the pandemic.
This surge in prices is notably due to unforeseen climatic events, in particular a drought in India and floods in Brazil, two of the largest sugar producers in the world.
Added to this is the rise in energy costs. According to Timothée Masson, market specialist at the General Confederation of Beet Planters, the price of refining – that is, importing cane sugar and transforming it into white sugar – has increased by 50% since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Barely compensated losses
In Switzerland, more than half of the sugar consumed comes from abroad. But the other half, produced in the country, has also seen its prices soar, because they are indexed to those of the world market. For Swiss beet growers, however, this is an important catch-up effect, underlines Timothée Masson: “In years when prices are low, they produce at a loss. So in good years, they must be well paid. This is what is happening now.”
But for local producers, this improvement barely compensates for the losses of recent years, during which they faced pests on their crops and rising energy prices. Artisans – bakers, pastry chefs and confectioners – are struggling to maintain their margins. And on the consumer side, these high prices continue to weigh heavily on food budgets.
Virginie Langerock/jop
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