This year, farmers cultivated sugar beet on a larger area than in 2024, covering approximately 11,000 hectares in total. However, due to the extraordinary drought and unusually high average temperatures, yields are expected to reach only around 50 tonnes per hectare. As a result, the total harvest is expected to be significantly lower than in previous years. Owing to the reduced volume, the sugar beet rail campaign will be completed within two months, approximately 30% faster than in preceding years.
More Than Half of the Crop Arrives by Rail
In 2026, rail’s share in sugar beet transportation increased further. More than half of the total harvested crop will be delivered to the factory by Rail Cargo Hungaria.If this volume were transported by road instead, it would further increase the burden on road transport and significantly increase environmental pollution.
Twenty Sugar Beet Trains per Week
Rail Cargo Hungaria transports sugar beet using a dedicated fleet of 400 Ea-type freight wagons, dedicated exclusively for sugar beet transport. On average, a sugar beet train consists of around 28 wagons and carries approximately 1,400 tonnes of sugar beet. During the campaign period, the company’s trains will cover roughly 71,000 kilometres in total, with an average of 20 sugar beet trains operating on the Hungarian rail network each week.