SPPK Concerned about Plans to Close Sugar Factory in Trencianska Tepla

Bratislava, 5 February (TASR) - The Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPPK), together with the Slovak Sugar Beet Growers Association, has received with great concern the news that Nordzucker AG has decided to terminate sugar production and sugar beet processing at its sugar factory in the municipality of Trencianska Tepla in Trencin region, SPPK stated on Thursday, adding that this decision will have a significant impact on sugar beet growing and sugar production in Slovakia. "5 February 2026, will go down in the history of Slovak agriculture as a heavy blow to the Slovak agri-food sector. The sugar factory in Trencianska Tepla was founded in 1901 and wasn't brought to its knees even by two world wars in the last century," said SPPK, adding that the verdict on the sugar factory in the Povazie area is all the more significant given that Slovakia was self-sufficient in sugar production and sugar was the last foodstuff in which the country had achieved full self-sufficiency for years. According to the chamber, Nordzucker AG's decision was made despite a record year in terms of harvests. "This is precisely why growers don't understand the company's position, which refers to an alleged decline in beet quality and doubts the profitability and viability of the Trencianska Tepla sugar factory," said SPPK spokeswoman Jana Holeciova, adding that growers supplying beets to the Trencianska Tepla sugar factory achieved a record harvest of 74 tonnes/hectare and a sugar content of close to 16 percent in the last sugar production campaign, which is a standard indicator for beet production. am