• Drought, heat, and disease are causing a third lower sugar beet harvest in southern Germany this year, the lowest since German reunification in 1990.
• Poor sugar beet harvests in France, Europe's largest sugar beet-growing country, are also expected due to extreme heat and drought, potentially impacting consumer prices.
• Diseases are spreading among sugar beet crops in southern Germany, weakening plants' resistance to pathogens and resulting in beets with a rubbery consistency and lower sugar content.

Drought, heat and disease are taking their toll on sugar beet crops in Germany.

As a result, sugar production in the south of the country is expected to be a third lower than last year, the regional growers' association announced on Monday.

A yield of that kind would be the lowest since German reunification in 1990.

The growers' association anticipates an impact on consumer prices, as harvests are also poor in France, Europe's largest sugar beet-growing country, which is suffering from extreme heat and drought.

In southern Germany too, the crops are showing clear signs of drought stress, even in locations with normally good water supplies.

The growers' association says that diseases are spreading because drought stress weakens the plants' resistance to pathogens.

As a result of the diseases, the beets have developed a rubbery consistency and significantly less sugar can be extracted from them.

The Association of South German Sugar Beet Growers serves as the umbrella organization for seven regional associations and represents nearly 10,000 growers. Accordingly, they cultivate sugar beets on around 100,000 hectares and supply seven factories.