Browse Data and Analysis

FAS/Pretoria’s Sugar annual report provides information on the production, supply, and distribution of sugar in South Africa for marketing year (MY) 2023/24, MY 2024/25, and MY 2025/26.

Sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) is forecast to reach 600,000 metric tons (MT) due to favorable rainfall conditions through the first half of marketing year (MY) 2025/2026 (October - September).

Hot and dry conditions in the autumn and winter of 2024 led to a drop in the production of South African sugar cane. This is expected to translate into a slight decrease in sugar production and exports.

For marketing year October 2024/September 2025 (MY 2024/25), Post forecasts overall sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) to increase to 520,000 metric tons (MT) due to better-than-expected rainfall patterns.

On July 19, 2024, the South African government published a new sugar import tariff of R1,093 per metric ton (US$60.09/MT). This tariff change was triggered by a downward trend in global sugar prices and will apply to sugar imported into the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU).

Post expects sugar cane production in MY 2024/25 to show modest growth on carry-over cane and slight increase in harvested area. Sugar production is forecast to improve on slight increase in cane deliveries. The sugar industry effected notional price hikes of white and brown sugar which translated to increases in retail prices of sugar.

Sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) is forecast to reach 520,000 metric tons (MT) due to favorable rainfall conditions through the first half of marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 (October - September).

For marketing year October 2023/September 2024 (MY 2023/24), Post forecasts overall sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) to increase slightly to 500,000 metric tons (MT) due to improved rainfall patterns.

Post forecasts South African raw sugar production at 2.17 million MT in MY 2023/24, up 9 percent from 2 million MT in MY 2022/23, based on an increase in the quantity of cane delivered to the mills and consistent milling efficiencies.

Post forecasts South Africa’s sugar cane crop will increase by 3 percent to 18.5 million metric tons (MT) in market year (MY) 2023/24 assuming a return to normal weather conditions, an improvement in yields, and industry efforts to increase production, especially for small-scale farmers.

As a severe drought looms large over the sugar mill areas in the Dominican Republic (DR) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to prohibit sugar and sugar-based imports from the top Dominican producer, Post forecasts local production at 530,000 metric tons (MT) for marketing year (MY) 2023/24 (October/September), 12 percent down from the MY 2022/23 estimates.

On October 28, 2022, Tongaat Hullet’s management announced that they opted to go into voluntary business rescue due to the company’s severe levels of financial distress. On Tuesday November 1, Tongaat Hullet missed the deadline to pay R401 million ($22.9 million) for cane delivered by 4,300 growers in September.