A „sugar payment” and the income of sugar beet growers in Poland. Current status and prospects

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the importance of a separate sugar payment in Poland and its impact on the income of sugar beet growers in Poland. The article presents the structure and dynamics of the World, the EU and the Polish sugar market and sugar beet market, as well as the instruments of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the sugar market, which provides a background for further consideration. The profitability of sugar beet production is shown in recent years in Poland and in comparison to Germany, one of the leaders in this sector of agriculture in the European Union. As results show in the paper sugar beet is being gradually displaced by sugar cane on a global scale. Following the reform of the sugar market (in 2006) in the European Union there many unfavourable changes occurred which have led to the cessation of sugar production in some countries, resulting in the total supply of this product decreasing and the EU becoming a net importer of sugar (even though for many years it had production surpluses and exported these). Sugar payments in nine countries, including Poland was one form of compensation for the loss of revenue of sugar beet growers caused by the introduction of this reform. According to the findings this payment is to be paid for the lasttime in 2014. Therefore it is necessary to consider the sense of the introduction of another support mechanism for sugar beet growers in Poland and other new member states of the European Union. An increase in the level of basic direct payment rate seems to be such a solution. It could improve profitability of sugar beet production in Poland.