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Akzente<br />
News from <strong>Nordzucker</strong> | Issue 2 | July 2013<br />
175 years of <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Sustainable. Dedicated. Together.<br />
EU sugar market regime<br />
Decision made: The sugar market regime will be extended<br />
for the last time by two years until September 2017.<br />
Previous year surpassed again<br />
Revenues and earnings rose significantly<br />
for the third year in a row.<br />
Follow us<br />
Sustainability Report submitted –<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> saves energy and CO 2<br />
.
| Rubrik | Reihe oder Ergänzung |<br />
80,000,000<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> is investing EUR 80,000,000 across the entire Group<br />
in this financial year, surpassing the previous year once again.<br />
2
| Editorial |<br />
“We are on the lookout for ways in which<br />
we can develop the company further so<br />
as to continue to be able to operate as<br />
successfully as we are today even in a<br />
different environment.”<br />
Dear Shareholders, Dear Readers,<br />
The previous financial year will go down in the history of <strong>Nordzucker</strong> as the most successful<br />
to date. We saw significant growth in revenues and earnings for the third year in<br />
a row. However, none of this would have been possible without an outstanding team<br />
that brings ideas and energy to the entire Group.<br />
Our excellent earnings are most certainly a reason to celebrate. Yet there is another<br />
one: 175 years! The first sugar factory in the present-day <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s region was<br />
established in Klein Wanzleben 175 years ago and is still in use now. This makes it one<br />
of the foundation stones of today’s company. In the years and decades that followed,<br />
more and more factories were built. Early shareholders had a vision for the future: they<br />
recognised the opportunities presented by new technologies and, through their dedication,<br />
secured a long-term market outlet for their sugar beet.<br />
Today, we once again look to the future together. The markets remain volatile,<br />
meaning that price movements will continue to present a challenge for us in the future.<br />
By the same token, the structure of sugar producers in Europe will undergo changes.<br />
We also now know that the sugar market regime will come to an end in 2017. We are<br />
thus facing changes in many different areas, but we are preparing for all of them. We<br />
are making investments throughout the entire Group – in equipment to save energy,<br />
to improve logistics and for product safety. Furthermore, we are on the lookout for<br />
ways in which we can develop the company further so as to continue operating as<br />
successfully as we are today even in a different environment.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> was and is a company heading towards the future. The very first<br />
shareholders were aware of this and it is just as important today to continue on this<br />
path together.<br />
I wish you all a pleasant summer.<br />
Best regards,<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> has invested<br />
in a new juice purification<br />
facility at its site in Clauen.<br />
Hartwig Fuchs<br />
Akzente July 2013 3
| CoNtENtS |<br />
Report: Two in one<br />
Since 2008, the annual beet campaign<br />
in the Polish town of Chełmża has been<br />
accompanied by a raw sugar campaign.<br />
20 22<br />
Summertime, berry time …<br />
Europe makes jam – with the help<br />
of products from SweetFamily and<br />
Dansukker.<br />
PANORAMA<br />
6 Sustainable. Dedicated. Together. – <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
celebrates its 175th anniversary<br />
8 Previous year surpassed again – <strong>Nordzucker</strong> continues<br />
to grow strongly with rising revenues and earnings<br />
10 Decision from Brussels: The EU sugar market regime<br />
will end in 2017<br />
11 How will things proceed from 2017?<br />
11 Hartwig Fuchs: “Accelerating towards a new<br />
world of sugar”<br />
12 A late, cold start to the beet year<br />
A LOOK AT THE MARKET<br />
16 European Commission approves additional imports<br />
from the global market<br />
CLOSE-UP<br />
18 20 · 20 · 20: Boosting the competitiveness of beet with<br />
20 tonnes of sugar<br />
19 Responsibility, dedication, courage and appreciation:<br />
four values – one company<br />
20 Two in one – a visit to the Chełmża plant<br />
13 Interview: “Not a record year”<br />
13 <strong>Nordzucker</strong> tests yield potential of the paper pot<br />
method<br />
14 Follow us – <strong>Nordzucker</strong> publishes its third<br />
Sustainability Report<br />
15 Key investments made for the 2013 campaign<br />
SWEET STORIES<br />
22 Summertime, berry time – strawberries are Europe’s<br />
favourite fruit<br />
23 Summer with Dansukker<br />
23 Taste of the year: Make and enjoy jam with<br />
SweetFamily by <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
4
Talking to …<br />
People at <strong>Nordzucker</strong>:<br />
Kazimierz Kuśmierek has been working<br />
at the Chełmża plant for 38 years.<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
24 The bright world of <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
PEOPLE AT NORDZUCKER<br />
26 Kazimierz Kuśmierek: Technical Manager<br />
Sugar House and Service Center in Chełmża<br />
CLICKED ON<br />
27 Looking online<br />
RECIPE<br />
28 Rote Grütze compote in mini sponge rolls<br />
26<br />
Prof. em. Dr phil.<br />
Hans Jürgen Teuteberg<br />
was Professor of Contemporary<br />
Economic and Social History<br />
and Director of the History<br />
Department at the University<br />
of Münster.<br />
In 1747, the Berlin-born chemist Andreas Sigismund<br />
Marggraf discovered that sugar from three types of beet<br />
is chemically identical to sugar from sugar cane. His pupil<br />
Franz Carl Achard continued this research and established<br />
the first sugar beet factory in Silesia in 1802. However, it<br />
would be decades before sugar production using sugar<br />
beet would catch on. Three questions for Professor<br />
Teuteberg on the history of sugar.<br />
In 1838, a sugar factory was opened in Klein Wanzleben.<br />
How did the sugar industry develop during the following<br />
decades?<br />
“Between 1840 and 1870, when the German Empire was<br />
founded, the number of German sugar beet factories<br />
increased more than fivefold, from 54 to 304. At the same<br />
time, the amount of beet processed rose from 26,080<br />
tonnes to three million tonnes. At the end of the 1850s,<br />
beet sugar production had already reached such a level<br />
that it exceeded domestic demand and began to be<br />
exported.”<br />
What helped to drive this development?<br />
“In addition to the fiscal environment, successful sugar<br />
beet breeding and advancing industrialisation were driving<br />
forces. In the middle of the 19th century, the Frenchman<br />
Louis de Vilmorin discovered that the sugar content of<br />
beets can be increased by means of systematic breeding.<br />
At the same time, it was possible to significantly cut<br />
production costs in the sugar factories by using steampowered<br />
machines and conveyor belts.”<br />
What did this mean for sugar consumption?<br />
“Until the middle of the 19th century, most people didn’t<br />
consume sugar because they simply could not afford to pay<br />
the high prices. Sugar is a typical product of industrialisation<br />
and, together with the potato, represents the biggest<br />
change in our eating habits since the late Middle Ages.”<br />
Akzente July 2013 5
| PaNoraMa |<br />
1<br />
1838<br />
The Klein Wanzleben<br />
sugar factory is founded<br />
– a foundation stone of<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
1865 – 1900<br />
Start-up boom in Europe: The<br />
factories in Nordstemmen,<br />
Clauen, Schladen, Uelzen,<br />
Nakskov, Nykøbing, Arlöv,<br />
Örtofta, Chełmża, Opalenica<br />
and Trenčianska Teplá are<br />
opened<br />
Sustainable. Dedicated.<br />
Together. – <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
celebrates its 175th<br />
anniversary<br />
The sugar factory in Klein Wanzleben was<br />
the start of <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s 175-year-long<br />
history. Changing legal and ownership<br />
structures, conversions, wars, destruction<br />
and ultimately a completely new building<br />
have not changed the fact that the sugar<br />
factory founded in 1838 in Magdeburg<br />
Börde is the foundation stone of all<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> factories still in existence<br />
today. <strong>Nordzucker</strong> has steadily evolved<br />
out of individual factory companies.<br />
Courage and an entrepreneurial spirit<br />
have shaped its history at many stages<br />
and played a key role in moving the company<br />
forward. Today, more than 15,000<br />
farmers from all over Europe supply 13<br />
sugar factories in seven countries with<br />
sugar beet.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> has taken this special<br />
year as an opportunity to reflect on its<br />
roots, as well as to look forward and<br />
generate new momentum.<br />
Official celebration<br />
The official anniversary celebration on 26<br />
September represents the culmination of<br />
the year’s events. Around 500 national<br />
and international visitors are expected in<br />
Braunschweig, including customers, politicians<br />
and various representatives from<br />
associations and the general public. The<br />
day’s event will be kicked off by a ceremony<br />
accompanied by music and greetings<br />
from a number of people including<br />
the Honorary President of the German<br />
Farmers’ Association, Gerd Sonnleitner,<br />
the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt,<br />
Dr Reiner Haseloff, and the State Secretary<br />
from the Federal Ministry for Food,<br />
Agriculture and Consumer Protection,<br />
Dr Robert Kloos.<br />
Speeches and panel discussion<br />
“Living and doing business in a sustainable<br />
way: are we living up to our responsibility?”<br />
– This is the question being<br />
addressed by the former Federal Environment<br />
Minister, Klaus Töpfer, in a talk<br />
on sustainability in the early afternoon,<br />
helping to steer the gaze of the guests<br />
towards the future. A high-profile panel<br />
will shed light on this issue from their<br />
own perspectives and thereby add to<br />
the thought-provoking nature of the<br />
anniversary event: Carl- Albrecht Bartmer<br />
will participate to provide the farmers’<br />
1985<br />
Zucker-Aktiengesellschaft<br />
Uelzen-<br />
Braunschweig is<br />
founded<br />
1996 – 2000<br />
The company’s involvement<br />
in Eastern Europe begins in<br />
the Czech Republic, followed<br />
by Slovakia and Poland<br />
2003<br />
Union-Zucker joins<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong><br />
2012/13<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>’s most<br />
successful financial<br />
year to date ends with<br />
record earnings<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
1939 – 1945<br />
Sugar is deemed “vital to the<br />
war effort”. Beet farmers and<br />
the sugar industry are called<br />
on to increase production<br />
1990<br />
Five companies join<br />
together to form the<br />
Zucker-Verbund Nord <strong>AG</strong><br />
1997<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong> is formed<br />
2009<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> acquires<br />
Nordic Sugar and truly<br />
becomes a European<br />
company<br />
6
1 2<br />
4<br />
You can find more information<br />
here:<br />
Historical commemorative publication:<br />
The commemorative publication “175 Years of<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong>. A History of Sugar.” will be presented<br />
on 26 September as part of the anniversary. The<br />
150-page book provides details of the key moments<br />
in the company’s history in an easy-to-read format<br />
over five chapters. Research includes interviews with<br />
contemporary witnesses. The book will be available<br />
in English and German. You may order a copy of the<br />
book on the internet: www.175Jahre-<strong>Nordzucker</strong>.de<br />
(nominal fee of EUR 10).<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> will publish brochures in the respective<br />
local language for regional events which provide<br />
a summary of the key milestones in <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s<br />
history and which each contain one page devoted<br />
to that country.<br />
3<br />
You can find additional information about the company’s anniversary, as well as news on regional anniversary events being held at <strong>Nordzucker</strong> plants in August and September at<br />
www.175Jahre-<strong>Nordzucker</strong>.de.<br />
perspective, Ulrik Nehammer from<br />
Coca-Cola will give the customers’<br />
point of view and Professor Luci Reisch<br />
will discuss on behalf of consumers.<br />
Dr Klaus Schumacher will represent<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s perspective.<br />
Inka Schneider, the well-known<br />
journalist from NDR, will lead guests<br />
through the day with entertaining interviews<br />
and small cultural treats. The celebration<br />
will be brought to a pleasant<br />
end with dinner in smaller groups.<br />
Events for all employees<br />
All 3,300 employees are celebrating with<br />
us – at their own dedicated events, which<br />
range from breakfast and a family picnic<br />
to parties in the evenings. Guests from the<br />
surrounding regions and the local public<br />
are invited to the events. <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
would like to express its thanks to its<br />
entire staff for their dedication and performance,<br />
and hereby recognises the<br />
contribution of each and every person<br />
to the success of the company. tsd<br />
Akzente July 2013 7
| PaNoraMa |<br />
Previous year surpassed again<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> continues to grow strongly with rising revenues and earnings<br />
We have reduced net<br />
debt to EUR 59 million.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> is in very<br />
good financial condition.<br />
Dr Michael Noth, Chief Financial Officer<br />
cant increase in revenues and profit<br />
thanks to the good market situation<br />
and a number of its own profit-boosting<br />
measures. Revenues rose by more than<br />
20 per cent to EUR 2.4 billion in the<br />
2012/2013 financial year. Similarly,<br />
earnings reached a new high of EUR<br />
360 million. This means that <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
comfortably surpassed the very good<br />
earnings of the previous year once again.<br />
“This is by far the best result in the history<br />
of our company,” summarised the<br />
Chief Financial Officer of <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
<strong>AG</strong>, Dr Michael Noth. “And what is particularly<br />
pleasing to see in this anniversary<br />
year: We were successful across all<br />
regions.”<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s shareholders will also be<br />
pleased about the good performance –<br />
the dividend proposed to the Annual<br />
General Meeting in July 2013 will be<br />
EUR 1.80 per share. Last year, EUR 1.00<br />
per share was paid out. In this way,<br />
shareholders enjoy a fair share of the<br />
company’s good earnings, and the company’s<br />
financing is strengthened at the<br />
same time.<br />
Earnings increase by EUR 152 million<br />
Compared to the previous year, <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
was able to increase consolidated<br />
revenues by EUR 424.8 million to EUR<br />
2.443 billion in the 2012/2013 financial<br />
year. This translated into a net income of<br />
EUR 360 million for the Group. Following<br />
EUR 208 million in the previous year,<br />
this represents a clear rise in earnings<br />
of EUR 152 million.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> benefited above<br />
all from comparatively favourable<br />
conditions in the market with higher<br />
prices for quota sugar and a larger<br />
volume of non-quota sugar sales.<br />
Earnings were also helped by<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> has posted outstanding<br />
earnings for the third year in a row. The<br />
company was able to achieve a signifilong-term<br />
savings which took effect<br />
across the Group. These are the result<br />
of the “Profitability plus” programme,<br />
which has been running for three<br />
years. It consists of a range of measures<br />
designed to last five years and with<br />
which <strong>Nordzucker</strong> intends to boost its<br />
competitiveness. “We have made the<br />
most of market opportunities and resolutely<br />
continued on our course without<br />
neglecting the ongoing development<br />
of the company. This course is paying<br />
off,” emphasises CEO Hartwig Fuchs.<br />
Share of business abroad rises to<br />
56 per cent<br />
Once again, <strong>Nordzucker</strong> generated<br />
more than half of its revenues outside<br />
Germany. “We are a strong European<br />
company established in attractive regional<br />
markets,” says Michael Noth and refers<br />
to the trend of revenues in the three<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> regions: In the 2012/2013<br />
financial year, 44 per cent of consolidated<br />
revenues came from the Central Europe<br />
region (previous year: 47 per cent),<br />
40 per cent from the Northern Europe<br />
region (previous year: 40 per cent)<br />
and 16 per cent in the Eastern Europe<br />
region (previous year: 13 per cent).<br />
Equity rises above the one-billion mark<br />
The good earnings made it possible for<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> to strengthen its equity further,<br />
lifting it above the one billion Euro<br />
mark for the first time to EUR 1.316 billion.<br />
“We set ourselves the goal of increasing<br />
the equity ratio three years ago,” explains<br />
Michael Noth. “In 2012/2013, we were<br />
able to achieve an even better equity ratio<br />
of 55 per cent – despite a greater balance<br />
sheet total.” Moreover, <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
made the most of the good year and<br />
reduced net debt to around EUR 59 million.<br />
Michael Noth is happy about this<br />
8
Annual Report 2012/2013<br />
Hartwig Fuchs, Chief Executive Officer <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong><br />
Annual revenues<br />
increased further<br />
In EUR m<br />
2,443<br />
2,018<br />
2011/2012<br />
2012/2013<br />
Thanks to positive conditions<br />
in the market, revenues rose<br />
by more than 20 per cent<br />
to EUR 2.4 billion in the<br />
2012/2013 financial year.<br />
Net income at record levels<br />
and believes <strong>Nordzucker</strong> is “in very<br />
good financial condition”.<br />
Sound foundation for sustainable<br />
growth<br />
With an eye on rising stock levels,<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> expects global sugar prices<br />
to remain at the currently low level, which<br />
means that <strong>Nordzucker</strong> expects a decline<br />
in revenues and earnings in the current<br />
financial year. The company will continue<br />
resolutely on its chosen course for growth<br />
and improved efficiency. “This is our key<br />
to sustainable strength and competitiveness,”<br />
emphasises the CEO. sdp<br />
In EUR m<br />
91<br />
2010/2011<br />
208<br />
2011/2012<br />
360<br />
2012/2013<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> posted<br />
record earnings for the<br />
third year in a row. This<br />
resulted primarily from<br />
higher prices for quota<br />
sugar, a greater volume<br />
of non-quota sugar sales<br />
as well as savings in production<br />
and administration<br />
in 2012/2013.<br />
Living our values.<br />
Creating growth.<br />
For more details, please<br />
refer to our Annual Report<br />
– also available online at<br />
www.nordzucker.de<br />
Akzente July 2013 9
| PaNoraMa |<br />
After more than<br />
45 years, the sugar<br />
market regime is<br />
coming to an end.<br />
EU sugar market regime<br />
to end in 2017<br />
Four more campaigns under the usual<br />
conditions<br />
Now it’s official: in just four years – on<br />
30 September 2017 – the EU sugar<br />
market regime will permanently expire.<br />
This market system, the core elements<br />
of which have been in existence since<br />
1968, will not be extended beyond this<br />
date. This was the agreement reached<br />
by the EU agriculture ministers at the<br />
end of negotiations with the European<br />
Commission and European Parliament<br />
on 26 June in Luxembourg.<br />
According to this, the market<br />
period valid until the end of the sugar<br />
marketing year 2014/2015 will be<br />
extended for one last time by two years<br />
until 2016/2017. This decision forms<br />
part of the comprehensive reform package<br />
which has been passed by the three<br />
EU bodies for their Common Agricultural<br />
Policy (CAP).<br />
The negotiations leading to the<br />
end of the sugar market regime represent<br />
a compromise. On 13 March 2013, the<br />
European Parliament had called for it<br />
to be extended by five years until 2020,<br />
whereas the European Commission<br />
wanted to let the sugar market regime<br />
expire in 2014/2015 without any extension.<br />
The EU agriculture ministers also<br />
spoke out in favour of an extension to<br />
the regime in March, but only until<br />
2016/2017.<br />
It has now been decided to allow<br />
the quota system to expire at the end<br />
of the sugar marketing year 2016/2017.<br />
The compromise is the result of protracted<br />
and difficult negotiations. Fulltime<br />
refineries will retain their exclusive<br />
access to imports of up to 2.5 million<br />
tonnes of raw cane sugar for the first<br />
three months of the sugar marketing<br />
year until September 2017.<br />
Less planning security<br />
The end of the sugar market regime and<br />
the associated discontinuation of the<br />
quota system on 30 September 2017<br />
means that <strong>Nordzucker</strong> and its beet<br />
farmers will lose a certain degree of<br />
planning security. The EU will also<br />
continue to collect the controversial<br />
production levy amounting to EUR 12<br />
per tonne of sugar, which has been in<br />
place since the 2006 reform, until 2017.<br />
Easier access to the global market<br />
Just how much the end of the sugar<br />
market regime will impact on the EU’s<br />
current ability to meet 85 per cent of its<br />
own demand, which has up to now been<br />
guaranteed by production quotas, remains<br />
to be seen, as does how sugar prices<br />
in the EU will be influenced by greater<br />
exposure to the global market in the<br />
future. Access to the global market will<br />
become easier for EU sugar companies,<br />
as the end of the quota system also means<br />
that the 1.37-million-tonne limit on exports<br />
of EU sugar by the World Trade Organisation<br />
will also be lifted. It also remains<br />
to be seen how the European market for<br />
isoglucose will develop following the<br />
end of the sugar market regime. sdp<br />
10
COMMENT BY HARTWIG FUCHS<br />
Accelerating towards a new<br />
world of sugar<br />
Two years, four years or seven years: how much time will the<br />
EU allow for changing the system of the EU sugar sector – a<br />
sector which is in many areas still dealing with the aftermath<br />
of the drastic reforms carried out between 2006 and 2009? At<br />
the end of June, we learned the answer: after four more campaigns,<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> will enter a new sugar industry – without<br />
a market regime. We have been given two more years than<br />
originally feared to prepare for the change – but three years<br />
less than we would have liked. A compromise. No reason to<br />
celebrate, but also no cause to stick our heads in the sand.<br />
Quite the opposite!<br />
How will things proceed<br />
from 2017?<br />
Following the drastic reforms in 2006, the time following the end<br />
of the sugar market regime will once again present major challenges<br />
for beet farmers and the sugar industry in the EU. The focus of<br />
the coming years will also be on boosting the efficiency and competitiveness<br />
of beet cultivation and sugar production. In addition to<br />
this, new systems of contracts for beet cultivation will be required<br />
to be able to manage the two-year period between crop planning<br />
and sugar sales without the market regime instruments which had<br />
previously applied. <strong>Nordzucker</strong> will continue to negotiate beet<br />
cultivation and delivery terms with the agricultural associations. A<br />
key issue will be what forms of price hedging for sugar will be in<br />
place in four years. Under consideration are systems such as those<br />
commonly used for rapeseed and wheat, for instance. Protection<br />
against sugar imports to the EU which will remain valid after 2017<br />
is also important for sugar production in Europe. This means that<br />
sugar must continue to be excluded from talks on bilateral and<br />
multinational trade agreements. <br />
sdp<br />
Quickly becoming more commercial and competitive<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> must become more commercial and competitive<br />
at a much quicker pace. That’s the key message! The fact that<br />
we have the strength required for this is a testament to the<br />
enormous progress we have made in recent years. We set<br />
our course early on – to improve efficiency and profitability<br />
on a continuous basis. Now it is for us and our beet farmers<br />
to continue on this path with dedication and resolution. And<br />
now we have a fixed deadline – which is good for us all.<br />
With the discontinuation of the quota system and the<br />
WTO export limit, the EU market will be influenced to a<br />
greater extent by events in the global market after 2017. The<br />
EU currently covers around 85 per cent of the sugar required<br />
for the food industry from domestic production. After 2017,<br />
all of the sugar produced in the EU will be available for use<br />
in food. Moreover, we will be in greater competition with isoglucose<br />
among our customers as this will also no longer be<br />
subject to a quota system. Last but not least, beet must hold<br />
its ground over the long term against competing crops in the<br />
field and also compete with a potential rise in imports of cane<br />
sugar. However, not only does the end of the sugar market<br />
regime bring new tasks, it also brings new opportunities. The<br />
lifting of the WTO limit on sugar exports means that we will<br />
be able to benefit much more from the export market – provided<br />
of course that we do well and prices allow for this. It is<br />
also certain that there will be another wave of consolidation<br />
in the EU. And <strong>Nordzucker</strong> will be actively involved in this.<br />
We will be able to master successfully the discontinuation<br />
of familiar regime instruments and the transition to a new world<br />
of sugar with passion and courage in the right places – I am<br />
sure of this! The important thing is to stand together with our<br />
farmers. And to have policies that live up to their responsibility<br />
to create new, sensible framework conditions. <br />
Akzente July 2013 11
| PaNoraMa |<br />
A late, cold start to the beet year<br />
Delayed growth particularly in the German and Danish growing areas<br />
“In Denmark crops are lagging around ten days<br />
behind “normal” years. On a positive note, we are<br />
seeing high plant populations per hectare and<br />
excellent herbicide effects in all four countries.”<br />
Christer Sperlingsson, Senior Manager<br />
Beet Supply, Nordic Sugar<br />
“The long winter, wet soil and flooded fields did not<br />
allow for early sowing. We are all the more happy<br />
that our growers in Poland and Slovakia made use of<br />
all available resources and were able to get the beets<br />
planted in just 16 days.”<br />
Dr Gerd Jung, Senior Vice President, Beet<br />
Procurement <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Eastern Europe<br />
“Just like humans, beets don’t like being cold<br />
and wet! Our 2013 beet year is likely to be below<br />
average.”<br />
Volker Bückmann, Senior Vice President, Beet<br />
Procurement <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Central Europe<br />
In 2013, sugar beet sowing began later<br />
than the five-year average in most of the<br />
countries where <strong>Nordzucker</strong> grows sugar<br />
beet. Compared with the very early<br />
compact sowing in 2012, almost every<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> beet office recorded a much<br />
later start to sowing at the beginning of<br />
April and much longer sowing periods<br />
were also widespread. In many places,<br />
orders had to be interrupted on several<br />
occasions due to late frost and heavy<br />
downpours. Sowing was fully completed<br />
in Germany, Poland and Slovakia at the<br />
end of April. Sowing in Denmark was<br />
also eleven days behind the five-year<br />
average. Only in Sweden was it possible<br />
for growers to drill their beet at their<br />
usual times – and even then there were<br />
major differences between growing areas<br />
in the west and the east.<br />
Very good initial conditions<br />
Good soil structure, mellowness due to<br />
frost and sufficient soil moisture ensured<br />
very good initial conditions across the<br />
board and thereby enabled even plant<br />
carpet levels to be achieved with optimum<br />
plant density. Likewise, the effect<br />
of herbicides was very good on the whole<br />
thanks to favourable soil moisture, although<br />
growth delays brought on by<br />
herbicide stress were observed locally.<br />
April and May were persistently<br />
cold and rainy months, particularly in<br />
Germany and Denmark. Sugar beets<br />
grew at a very slow pace and row closure<br />
was only observed at the end of<br />
June in many parts of both countries.<br />
Shortly after Whitsun, Germany was hit<br />
by local flooding and surface siltation<br />
following heavy rains. Low-lying parts<br />
of the beet catchment areas of the<br />
plants in Schladen, Nordstemmen and<br />
Clauen were particularly affected, with<br />
over 100 mm of rain per day and square<br />
metre falling on and around 25 May.<br />
Crops in Finland and Lithuania<br />
developed rapidly and very well under<br />
12
Not a record year<br />
In almost all of <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s growing<br />
areas, beet was sown later in<br />
2013 than in previous years. How<br />
big is the actual “delay”?<br />
Dr. Pörksen: Across the Group, beet<br />
seed was sowed between two and three<br />
weeks later this year than in the previous<br />
year. However, when compared<br />
with the five-year average, we are only<br />
an average of ten days late. There was<br />
a late spring in all growing countries,<br />
which was particularly pronounced in<br />
Germany and Finland, where beet sowings<br />
were completed on average three<br />
weeks later than in 2012.<br />
What is the current situation in the<br />
beet fields? Do you see any chance<br />
for stocks to make up lost ground?<br />
Dr. Pörksen: Definitely not. The delay<br />
can no longer be recovered. Persistently<br />
cold weather, a lot of rain and not<br />
enough sunshine meant that the crops<br />
persisted for too long in the two-leaf<br />
and four-leaf stage. This was compounded<br />
by growth delays brought on by the<br />
outstanding effect of herbicides on the<br />
moist soil during 2013. Moreover, many<br />
of our growers in Germany had to deal<br />
with heavy rainfall at the end of May,<br />
including some flooded fields and siltation.<br />
Fortunately, there were not many<br />
cases of complete losses. Nevertheless,<br />
beet growth has been impacted by<br />
extremely warm, sunny weather conditions<br />
with sufficient rainfall, which<br />
meant it was also possible to partially<br />
compensate for the late sowing here<br />
and, as in Sweden, to achieve stock<br />
levels on a par with the five-year average.<br />
In Poland and Slovakia, warm<br />
weather conditions following sowing<br />
together with sufficiently moist soil conditions<br />
and regular rainfall ensured rapid<br />
field emergence and good development<br />
of crops. Growth here was also slowed<br />
by a cold snap in the latter part of May.<br />
these additional factors in many of these<br />
areas.<br />
From today’s perspective, what<br />
does this mean for the 2013 beet<br />
harvest and campaign?<br />
Dr. Pörksen: It is clear that this beet year<br />
will not be a record year. <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
will process a significantly smaller beet<br />
harvest. If everything goes well, we will<br />
achieve maximum yields on a par with<br />
the five-year average. The decision as<br />
to when we will begin processing the<br />
beets will depend on the results of the<br />
lifting tests in August. What I can say is<br />
that, from today’s perspective, I do not<br />
see any reason to start the campaign<br />
early. <br />
Interview by Susanne Dismer-Puls<br />
Overall, stock levels in both countries<br />
are healthy. Approximately half of the<br />
areas sowed saw row closure by 10<br />
June, with the remaining areas following<br />
around ten days later.<br />
Harvest outlook: about average<br />
Overall, beet development in Germany<br />
and Denmark at the end of June points<br />
to a generally below-average beet year<br />
in 2013. <strong>Nordzucker</strong> expects average<br />
yields in Sweden, Finland and Lithuania,<br />
and solidly average yields in Eastern<br />
Europe. <br />
sdp<br />
The amount of<br />
beet to be processed<br />
will be<br />
much smaller in<br />
this campaign.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> tests yield<br />
potential of the paper<br />
pot method<br />
Early sowing and a long period of<br />
growth are the keys to success for sugar<br />
beet cultivation. The longer the frostsensitive<br />
beet can grow, the greater the<br />
chances are of achieving above-average<br />
yields. To what extent can the yield be<br />
increased through longer growth periods<br />
made possible by using young beet<br />
plants grown in advance? <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
investigates this question as part of its<br />
20 · 20 · 20 initiative in a field trial in<br />
Schleswig-Holstein.<br />
Eight-week head start<br />
In Kronprinzenkoog in Dithmarschen,<br />
around 7,000 young beet plants were<br />
transferred from the greenhouse on<br />
10 April 2013. The plants were transferred<br />
using a cabbage transplanter by<br />
the farmers Björn Göser and Hans-Reimer<br />
Thießen and have a growth advantage<br />
of up to eight weeks over the sugar beet<br />
usually drilled in Schleswig-Holstein.<br />
The plants were sown early in the<br />
greenhouse in paper pots on 19 and<br />
26 February. The paper pots are around<br />
15-centimetre-high containers made<br />
from paper that dissolve in the soil.<br />
sdp<br />
Akzente July 2013 13
Sustainability Report 2012/2013<br />
| PaNoraMa |<br />
Sustainable production from the field to the end<br />
product is becoming increasingly important.<br />
Defined product, environment, safety<br />
and social standards are documented.<br />
Follow us: take an interest in our work<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> publishes its third Sustainability Report<br />
Follow us<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s<br />
Sustainability Report:<br />
available in print and<br />
online.<br />
“Follow us” is the confident title of <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s 60-page<br />
report. The idea is for people to follow us or “take an interest<br />
in our work”, as people do on social media sites such as Facebook<br />
or Twitter.<br />
“We no longer need to call for this,” laughs Chief Operating<br />
Officer Axel Aumüller. There has long been an interest in what<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> does when it comes to sustainability. “And this interest<br />
is rising,” he emphasises. In importance and commitment.<br />
“The number of customers coming to us with questions about<br />
the sustainability of our production is increasing. This trend has<br />
been led by large customers,” explains Axel Aumüller. “Particularly<br />
food producers that buy and sell around the world have developed<br />
very clear requirements.” <strong>Nordzucker</strong> is expected to introduce<br />
defined product, environmental, safety and social standards<br />
in its production – and for these to be clearly documented.<br />
In focus: the entire process chain<br />
Indeed, with such requirements, <strong>Nordzucker</strong> customers also safeguard<br />
their own sustainability approach. “And this now extends<br />
along the entire supply chain for an increasing number of our<br />
customers,” highlights Axel Aumüller. “From the field to our<br />
factories and, finally, to the end consumer.”<br />
Setting an example for generations<br />
“Follow us” also means “follow our example”. A number of the<br />
interim results documented by <strong>Nordzucker</strong> in its current Sustainability<br />
Report are truly trend-setting. It is no coincidence that<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> will celebrate its 175th anniversary in the days and<br />
weeks to come. Wherever beet grows, it has been growing for<br />
generations: up to today with sustainably rising yields and the<br />
decreasing use of resources. “This anniversary would be unthinkable<br />
without the generations of farmers who have been<br />
investing in the fertility of their soil over the long term – certainly<br />
something which is not to be taken for granted,” summarises Axel<br />
Aumüller. By the same token, the high standards in <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
factories achieved by continuous improvements in energy efficiency<br />
and CO 2<br />
savings are also recognised. “In this respect,<br />
we are a popular model for others. But we are also in a good<br />
position across the Group in matters relating to product safety.”<br />
14
Energy efficiency and CO 2<br />
savings at <strong>Nordzucker</strong> set an example.<br />
Dedicated: <strong>Nordzucker</strong> provides a comprehensive<br />
summary in its Sustainability Report.<br />
Values provide guidance in daily business<br />
In its Sustainability Report, <strong>Nordzucker</strong> provides interesting<br />
insights into all stages of the sugar production process: points<br />
of contact for discussion and orientation by way of the guidelines<br />
according to which <strong>Nordzucker</strong> works. Key objectives how to live<br />
the <strong>Nordzucker</strong> values and how to incorporate our sustainability<br />
goals into daily work will be dealt in the <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Code of<br />
Conduct which will be available online soon.<br />
Voluntary compendium, not just for customers<br />
“Our Sustainability Report is not something that is required by<br />
law,” emphasises Marion Schaefer energetically. “This is something<br />
we do voluntarily and which our business partners really<br />
want to read,” explains <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s sustainability coordinator.<br />
“It’s a compendium for experts and anyone who wants to know<br />
more about us.” There is particular interest within the company<br />
from sales, according to Marion Schaefer. Externally, the report is<br />
on hand during every customer audit. In future, there will also be<br />
an abridged version for customer talks. It is also useful during discussions<br />
with banks or in the factories if a visit from the environmental<br />
authorities is due, for instance. <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s 2012/2013<br />
Sustainability Report has been in print since the beginning of<br />
April and is also available online: anyone can leaf though it<br />
virtually at <strong>Nordzucker</strong>/<strong>downloads</strong>. <br />
sdp<br />
Key investments<br />
for the 2013 campaign<br />
Energy, water, product safety, logistics<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> concludes two large, multi-year investment projects<br />
for the 2013 campaign: The new EUR 17.5 million evaporation<br />
dryer is entering service for the first time at the Danish plant of<br />
Nakskov; the Clauen factory also is launching the new juice purification<br />
system installed at a cost of EUR 5 million. At the same<br />
time, preliminary work to install an additional evaporation dryer<br />
and a vertical crystallisation tower (VCT) will be completed in the<br />
Swedish factory of Örtofta – two new large projects with a total<br />
volume of EUR 23.3 million, which will both be ready for use in<br />
2014. Energy and CO 2<br />
savings are also top priorities in 2013. The<br />
evaporation dryer in Nakskov will cut annual energy consumption<br />
across the entire plant by a quarter in the future thanks to the innovative<br />
technology used to dry pulp. Furthermore, <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
is investing around EUR 3.7 million in the enhancement of product<br />
safety. Starting in autumn, packaging machines and loading<br />
stations at all <strong>Nordzucker</strong> factories are to be equipped with socalled<br />
all-metal recognition. Ongoing projects for the futureoriented<br />
treatment of wastewater have also taken big steps. A<br />
further EUR 1.7 million has been invested in the Nordstemmen<br />
plant for the third construction phase of the project launched<br />
there to improve odour emissions. After having completed the<br />
anaerobic system in the previous year, the Polish <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
plant in Opalenica will complete the modernisation of its wastewater<br />
treatment plant with the commissioning of the aerobic<br />
system. The new facilities in Opalenica were installed for a total<br />
of EUR 3.9 million. Moreover, a new, 80,000-tonne silo is currently<br />
under construction in Uelzen, which will enter service during the<br />
next campaign <br />
sdp<br />
Akzente July 2013 15
| A LOOK AT THE MARKET |<br />
THE SUGAR MARKET<br />
European Commission<br />
approves additional imports<br />
from the global market<br />
European Commission:<br />
1.2 million tonnes of<br />
additional sugar.<br />
Since the 2006 amendment to the EU sugar market regime,<br />
the EU has only been able to meet around 85 per cent of its<br />
needs in the food industry from domestic production. The EU<br />
has since become a net importer of sugar and, in particular,<br />
has become dependent on imports from so-called ACP / LDC<br />
countries (ACP = former colonies of France and the UK in Africa,<br />
the Caribbean and the Pacific; LDC = least developed countries).<br />
However, these imports do not come automatically. If the<br />
world market price is above the prices which can be achieved<br />
in the EU, there is only a limited incentive for the ACP / LDC<br />
countries to sell their sugar to the EU.<br />
In order to prevent a potential shortage of supply in the EU<br />
market, the European Commission has the option of ensuring<br />
a greater supply of sugar. There are two particular instruments<br />
available here: on the one hand, the conversion of non-quota<br />
sugar to quota sugar which may then be used in the food sector<br />
and, on the other, allowing additional imports with reduced<br />
import duties. As Akzente reported, the European Commission<br />
already made use of both of these instruments in the two previous<br />
sugar marketing years.<br />
Approving sugar for human consumption would relieve the<br />
market<br />
Given that the European Commission also expects supplies<br />
to be tight in the EU’s sugar market in the current 2012/2013<br />
financial year, it decided in January 2013 in the Management<br />
committee to bring an additional 1.2 million tonnes of sugar<br />
to the EU market. “With human consumption of around<br />
16.9 million tonnes, this amounts to around seven per cent<br />
of annual sugar consumption in the EU’s food sector,” says<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> market expert Dr Klaus Schumacher. Half of this,<br />
totalling 600,000 tonnes, comes from the conversion of nonquota<br />
sugar to quota sugar. The applications for this approval<br />
were made by the sugar producers (maximum 50,000 tonnes<br />
per legally independent corporate entity). The European<br />
Commission divided the release of the 600,000 tonnes into<br />
four tranches, each with 150,000 tonnes. In view of the fact<br />
that the volumes applied for were much higher, allocation was<br />
made on a pro-rata basis. If non-quota sugar is released then<br />
levies must be paid. These are below the usual rate as a result<br />
of the special measures taken (see image). The remaining<br />
600,000 tonnes approved in January may be imported from<br />
any non-EU country with reduced import duties. This volume<br />
may not be imported all at once, but must be divided into a<br />
total of four tender procedures.<br />
Four tender procedures in 2013<br />
“In these so-called import tender procedures, the interested<br />
companies make a bid as to the amount of import duties per<br />
tonne they would be prepared to pay for a certain quantity of<br />
additionally imported sugar. Approval is then given to the bidder<br />
who offered to pay the highest import duties,” explains<br />
Klaus Schumacher. In the course of these four tenders, offers<br />
were accepted for a total of 371,000 tonnes of raw sugar and<br />
174,000 tonnes of white sugar. The reduced import duties<br />
were between EUR 141 and EUR 195 for raw sugar per tonne<br />
and between EUR 161 and EUR 240 per tonne for white sugar.<br />
The European Commission expects that the additional<br />
supply of 1.2 million tonnes of sugar will ensure sufficient stock<br />
levels until the end of the 2012/2013 sugar marketing year,<br />
and thereby ensure adequate supply in the market. tm, nt<br />
16
731 per tonne [as of April 2013]. As a<br />
result, it is above the reference price of<br />
EUR 404 per tonne.<br />
Interview<br />
In contrast to the situation around two<br />
years ago, when the global market price<br />
was sometimes above the EU price, it<br />
is currently at EUR 391 per tonne, well<br />
below the EU market price and even on<br />
a par with the reference price. The gap<br />
is therefore now widening significantly<br />
in the other direction. However, the<br />
statistics do not tell the whole truth, as<br />
they reflect prices from contracts which<br />
are currently in effect and which were<br />
signed last year in some cases. The market<br />
situation today is different. Prices for<br />
new contracts and for spot sales have<br />
fallen.<br />
Global market prices are currently at<br />
a much lower level than in July 2012.<br />
The reason for this is that harvests have<br />
been good, leading to an increase in<br />
stockpiles in the global market. Nevertheless,<br />
the European Commission expects<br />
supplies to be tight in the EU’s<br />
sugar market during the current sugar<br />
marketing year. Reasons cited for this<br />
include higher consumption levels than<br />
previously expected and the resulting<br />
smaller stockpiles. Consequently, the<br />
European Commission has introduced<br />
measures to bring an additional 1.2 mil-<br />
lion tonnes of sugar to the EU market by<br />
means of import tenders and allowing<br />
non-quota sugar to be used as well.<br />
Nina Tatter spoke to the Chief Marketing<br />
Officer, Mats Liljestam.<br />
How high are sugar prices in the<br />
global and EU markets at the moment?<br />
Mats Liljestam: The average EU market<br />
price as indicated in the EU Commission’s<br />
price reporting has been very stable in<br />
recent months and is currently at EUR<br />
What do you think of the release<br />
of 600,000 tonnes of non-quota<br />
sugar by the EU and the lower customs<br />
duties for imports of another<br />
600,000 tonnes of sugar from the<br />
global market? What does this<br />
mean for <strong>Nordzucker</strong>?<br />
Mats Liljestam We have been involved in<br />
the process to release non-quota sugar<br />
but, in actual fact, this measure wasn’t<br />
really necessary as the market has a sufficient<br />
supply of sugar. On the contrary,<br />
these steps result in increases of stockpiles<br />
in the EU and we had to inform our beet<br />
farmers that they should grow less beet<br />
for the 2013/2014 campaign. <br />
Measures used by the European Commission to avoid supply shortages in the EU<br />
Measure 1: Allowing additional imports with reduced<br />
import duties:<br />
Measure 2: Approving the conversion of<br />
non-quota sugar to quota sugar for use in<br />
the food industry:<br />
Reduced customs<br />
duties for imports in<br />
2012/2013:<br />
(in EUR per tonne)<br />
Raw sugar 141–195<br />
White sugar 161–240<br />
Normal customs duties<br />
for sugar imports to<br />
the EU:<br />
Duties levied for the<br />
European Commission’s<br />
special measures:<br />
between EUR 148 and<br />
EUR 224 per tonne<br />
Normal duty:<br />
EUR 500 per tonne<br />
Raw sugar 339<br />
White sugar 419<br />
Akzente July 2013 17
| CLOSE-UP |<br />
Boosting the competitiveness<br />
of beet with 20 tonnes of sugar<br />
20 · 20 · 20 meeting in Reinstorf<br />
Dr Niels Pörksen:<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> is preparing<br />
for the future with<br />
20 · 20 · 20.<br />
What adjustments need to be made so<br />
that 20 per cent of beet farmers are able<br />
to produce 20 tonnes of sugar per hectare<br />
in 2020? The beet procurement team<br />
is investigating this question across the<br />
entire Group. A large 20 · 20 · 20 meeting<br />
took place in Reinstorf on 13 June.<br />
The motto of the day was “Agri and<br />
beet shape the future”, since in order<br />
for beet to remain competitive with<br />
other crops, yields need to be increased.<br />
“This is the starting point of<br />
our project 20 · 20 · 20. Since the project<br />
was launched in 2011, we have already<br />
handled a variety of different issues,<br />
such as the autumn strip tilling process<br />
on heavy soil, combined drilling or avoiding<br />
harvest losses. Now the task is to<br />
think ahead with our entire <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
team of advisers,” says Chief Agricultural<br />
Officer Dr Niels Pörksen.<br />
The task in the future, even more<br />
so than today, will be to increase the<br />
competitiveness of beet – one of the<br />
conclusions of the meeting. Just how<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> benefits from international<br />
exchange was evident in the working<br />
groups. Colleagues from the various<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> countries came together to<br />
discuss the issues of increasing yields,<br />
cultivation advising, communication,<br />
sustainability and cooperation with<br />
farmers.<br />
“Conditions are different in every<br />
natural environment. However, there are<br />
regions in our Group that are comparable<br />
to each other. As a result, sharing<br />
and discussing the results and findings<br />
from various countries with colleagues<br />
is a key part of our international cooperation<br />
in the Group. Together we will<br />
achieve our objective,” underscores<br />
Niels Pörksen.<br />
The aim of the meeting in Reinstorf<br />
was not just to discuss what had<br />
already been achieved and how the<br />
results could be used in other natural<br />
18
Four values – one company<br />
Responsibility, dedication, courage and appreciation<br />
Senior Vice President Jannik Robin Olejas<br />
led the discussion.<br />
Together and international: <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
colleagues from every site exchanged views<br />
and ideas.<br />
Which values guide our actions? Employees<br />
at all <strong>Nordzucker</strong> sites have<br />
been discussing and examining the<br />
four values of responsibility, dedication,<br />
courage and appreciation for more<br />
than a year. The aim is to turn these<br />
values into a common framework for<br />
action across the entire Group.<br />
In order to achieve this, last year’s motto<br />
was “The values are being discussed”. The<br />
values were discussed in all <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
countries and at every level in order to<br />
develop a shared understanding. The<br />
focus of this second year is now to see<br />
that they become a standard part of<br />
everyday work at <strong>Nordzucker</strong>. The aim<br />
is to live out the values in matters both<br />
big and small – forming the basis of our<br />
actions in negotiations, meetings or employee<br />
appraisals. The same applies to<br />
Group guidelines and standards, which<br />
are also set on the basis of these corporate<br />
values. “With our values, <strong>Nordzucker</strong> is<br />
in the process of creating its own <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
culture that transcends both cul-<br />
tural and national borders. With their help,<br />
we will work together even better, regardless<br />
of whether we work in Germany,<br />
Poland or Finland, in an office or a factory.<br />
The values bring us closer together and<br />
this will strengthen <strong>Nordzucker</strong>. I am proud<br />
of the level of dedication our employees<br />
have brought to the process and its development,”<br />
said CEO Hartwig Fuchs.<br />
Discussing and reflecting on the values<br />
is not an end in itself: “Each of us has<br />
our own individual set of values, of which<br />
we may not even be fully aware. By talking<br />
about this, we develop a shared understanding<br />
and raise awareness for the application<br />
of these values. The values are also<br />
a good tool if, for instance, decisions need<br />
to be made,” says Bianca Deppe-Leickel,<br />
project manager in the values team.<br />
The fact that the values process at<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> is being supported by the<br />
whole company shows how much the<br />
staff is interested in it. Colleagues who<br />
want to be value ambassadors and<br />
advance the process forward have been<br />
found throughout the company. nt<br />
environments, but also to gather new<br />
ideas. “In the working groups, we<br />
looked for ideas that were a bit off the<br />
beaten track. After all, if you look at<br />
where we are now and where beet<br />
cultivation was 10 or 15 years ago, you<br />
can see that a big leap has been made.<br />
Much of what we do today was unimaginable<br />
back then. This is why<br />
we were looking for ideas for new<br />
things in Reinstorf that would be difficult<br />
to implement today,” says Jannik<br />
Robin Olejas, Senior Vice President Beet<br />
Procurement Northern Europe, who led<br />
the groups. <br />
nt<br />
Responsibility<br />
Courage<br />
Engagement<br />
Dedication<br />
Appreciation<br />
Akzente Juli 2013 19
| CLOSE-UP |<br />
Tomasz Soliwodzki<br />
has been Director of<br />
the Chełmża plant and<br />
sugar refinery since<br />
2004. The factory has<br />
been running a raw<br />
sugar campaign every<br />
year since 2008.<br />
Two in one<br />
The Chełmża plant runs a sugar beet and raw sugar campaign every year<br />
The Dvadesetprvi Maj lies shining with<br />
its red hull and the four white loading<br />
cranes in the port of Gdynia. The bulk<br />
carrier from Africa took about three<br />
weeks to get to the Baltic port to north<br />
of Gdansk. It will take nine days for the<br />
raw sugar in the port to be completely<br />
unloaded, after which the carrier can<br />
depart on a new trip. The raw cane<br />
sugar is destined for the Chełmża refinery.<br />
A visit to <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Polska and<br />
the Chełmża site:<br />
“When we equipped the Chełmża sugar<br />
factory to produce sugar from beet as<br />
well as refine raw cane sugar in 2008, we<br />
were the first sugar refinery in Poland.<br />
Today there is a second and it belongs<br />
to a competitor,” explains Tomasz Soliwodzki,<br />
Director of the Chełmża plant<br />
and refinery.<br />
Between spring and summer, the<br />
refinery turns raw sugar into white sugar<br />
for around two months. The sugar comes<br />
from Central America, South America or<br />
Africa. “The sugar is brought to us by truck.<br />
They reverse up the ramp and unload.<br />
The sugar is brought to the warehouse<br />
by a screw conveyor and conveyor belts,”<br />
continues Tomasz Soliwodzki.<br />
We enter the factory’s raw sugar warehouse.<br />
Around 4,000 tonnes of raw sugar<br />
can be stored here. During our visit, there<br />
is only a small amount of raw sugar in<br />
the warehouse. A wheel loader tips the<br />
brown raw sugar, which resembles sand<br />
from a distance, though coarse grating<br />
onto large piles. Conveyor belts located<br />
below take the sugar to the first stage<br />
of the refining process: “The sugar we<br />
receive needs to be cleaned before it<br />
can be processed. In the affination mash<br />
stage, which we rebuilt in 2008, the sugar<br />
crystals are washed and then spun in the<br />
affination centrifuges to separate them<br />
from non-sugar substances. This is the<br />
first stage of cleaning,” says Kazimierz<br />
Kuśmierek, who led the conversion from<br />
“conventional” sugar factory to combined<br />
factory as production engineer.<br />
This produces the syrup, which is then<br />
purified and filtered before being decolourised.<br />
Decolourisation plays a critical<br />
role in the refining of raw sugar: a special<br />
resin absorbs the colouring. The syrup<br />
is then concentrated, filtered and crystallised.<br />
The decolourisation station in<br />
Chełmża is one of only a few in Europe.<br />
We continue on through the refinery<br />
and Kazimierz Kuśmierek explains:<br />
“The real difference between refining<br />
and campaign operation is that white<br />
sugar is produced simultaneously at<br />
three stages during refining in our plant.<br />
At the same time, three additional products<br />
are created, known as recoveries,<br />
which need to be processed again. They<br />
are dissolved and boiled a second time<br />
until white sugar has formed. In contrast,<br />
we receive one product during the beet<br />
campaign, white sugar, and two products<br />
that need to be dissolved and processed<br />
again at the same time.”<br />
The plant runs a beet campaign<br />
every year in the autumn and winter,<br />
and processes the beet of local farmers<br />
just like other <strong>Nordzucker</strong> plants. The<br />
time between the end of the beet campaign<br />
and raw sugar refining is short<br />
and the window for the necessary conversion<br />
work is correspondingly small:<br />
“In order for the factory to become a<br />
refinery, flow paths between the different<br />
pieces of equipment have to be<br />
changed. This involves resetting various<br />
flaps differently and recalibrating around<br />
200 dummy discs,” explains Tomasz<br />
Soliwodzki. <br />
nt<br />
20
Everything under control: whether in the<br />
midst of raw sugar refining or a beet campaign<br />
– the control centre monitors every<br />
stage of production.<br />
Are the colour values correct? Quality<br />
controls are carried out in the laboratory.<br />
Chełmża is approximately 20 kilometres away from Toruń. Beet was first processed here in 1882.<br />
During the campaign, around 70 trucks bring<br />
their raw sugar to the factory every day.<br />
Raw cane sugar from Africa<br />
Ships carrying raw sugar arrive at the port in<br />
Gdynia in order to supply the refinery with sugar<br />
for its two-month-long refining campaign..<br />
Automated<br />
At the service centre in Chełmża, 1 kg packs, 25 kg<br />
sacks and big bags of up to 1,000 kg are filled. The<br />
service centre’s performance was expanded and optimised<br />
with the addition of the third palletising robot<br />
in 2012.<br />
Akzente July 2013 21
| SWEEt StoriES |<br />
Summertime,<br />
berry time ...<br />
Strawberries are Europe’s favourite fruit<br />
The summer can be stored in jars – in<br />
the form of home-made strawberry,<br />
apricot, currant or blackberry jam. All<br />
you need is fruit, preserving sugar or<br />
normal sugar and jars for the finished<br />
jam. This way you can continue enjoying<br />
summer even in the winter. The methods<br />
used to make jam vary considerably<br />
throughout Europe.<br />
“Polish households mainly use<br />
strawberries, apples and plums to make<br />
jam. This means that tasty jam is made<br />
at home the whole summer long. In<br />
contrast to Germany, most people use<br />
normal sugar and add gelling agents<br />
such as pectin themselves,” explains Mária<br />
Cselková, Marketing & Communication<br />
Specialist at the Slovakian <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
subsidiary Považský cukor a.s. “In Slovakia,<br />
strawberries, followed by peaches and<br />
plums, are the preferred ingredients<br />
when it comes to making jam. The fruits<br />
are brought to a boil and then sugar is<br />
added. We often use normal household<br />
sugar as well as preserving sugar.<br />
Strawberry jam is also very popular in<br />
Germany. It is a top seller for the large jam<br />
producers, and strawberries are preferred<br />
over any other kind of fruit for home-made<br />
jam, just as in Poland and Slovakia.<br />
The season begins a little later in<br />
Northern Europe than in Germany or<br />
Poland. Strawberries are also one of the<br />
preferred fruits in Northern Europe. “In<br />
Finland, most customers use our Dansukker<br />
preserving sugar. Customers in the Baltic<br />
states often use household sugar without<br />
the addition of pectin. The jam is then<br />
boiled for a very long time until it has<br />
reached the desired texture,” explains<br />
Jeanette Nordenhem, Product Marketing<br />
Manager at Nordic Sugar. <br />
nt<br />
22
Summer with<br />
Dansukker<br />
Nordic Sugar gives its customers in<br />
Denmark and Sweden tips on making<br />
preserves with Dansukker products.<br />
The brochures “Det smager af sommer!”<br />
(“The taste of summer!”) form<br />
part of the summer campaign along<br />
with recipes and ideas, as well as a<br />
video on the social media sites You-<br />
Tube and Facebook. Here you can<br />
learn, step by step, how quick and<br />
easy it is to make jam yourself using<br />
fruit and berries. “We invite our customers<br />
to make their own jam. To<br />
do this, we make concerted use of<br />
different channels so that our customers<br />
receive tips in different ways,”<br />
says Product Marketing<br />
Manager Jeanette<br />
Nordenhem. <br />
Tasty: Jam made from fresh<br />
summer fruits.<br />
Make and enjoy jam with SweetFamily by <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Fancy some jam<br />
with a hint of vanilla<br />
and lemon balm?<br />
Try the “Taste of<br />
the Year”.<br />
This year, SweetFamily by <strong>Nordzucker</strong> is offering its customers<br />
in Germany two new products for making jam. A new “Taste<br />
of the Year” and a preserving sugar with reduced calories thanks<br />
to the sweetness provided by the stevia plant.<br />
“Our preserving sugar ‘Taste of the Year’ with a vanilla and<br />
lemon balm taste is particularly suited to strawberries and brings<br />
variety to the breakfast table with its fresh and harmonious combination,”<br />
says Anne Hofmann, Product Manager.<br />
SweetFamily’s stevia preserving sugar is new on supermarket<br />
shelves and combines the calorie-free sweetness of the stevia plant<br />
with the sweetness of sugar. “Home-made fruit spread made<br />
with SweetFamily’s stevia preserving sugar contains 40 per cent<br />
fewer calories than the same amount of a fruit spread prepared<br />
entirely with preserving sugar,” says Anne Hofmann.<br />
For tasty recipes and ideas for jam and jellies, go to<br />
www.sweet-family.de <br />
Akzente July 2013 23
| iN BriEF |<br />
Holdings<br />
Nordharzer Zucker <strong>AG</strong> and<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> Holding <strong>AG</strong> propose a merger<br />
At their Annual General Meetings on 9 and 10 July, Nordharzer Zucker <strong>AG</strong> and<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> Holding <strong>AG</strong> put forward a resolution to their shareholders which<br />
proposes the merger of Nordharzer Zucker <strong>AG</strong> and <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Holding <strong>AG</strong>.<br />
The aim of the merger is to “increase influence over <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>, to pool the<br />
interests of agricultural shareholders and to thereby strengthen the voting right<br />
at the Annual General Meeting of <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>,” says Hans Jochen Bosse,<br />
Chief Executive Officer of Nordharzer Zucker <strong>AG</strong>, and Helmut Bleckwenn, Deputy<br />
Chairman of <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Holding <strong>AG</strong>, adds: “We<br />
see the merger as a key<br />
strategic step. A merger<br />
with Nordharzer would<br />
reinforce our influence<br />
over <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>.” <br />
ed<br />
Birthday<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> starts the<br />
anniversary year by donating<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong> has provided the local church<br />
and town trust of Klein Wanzleben with support<br />
amounting to EUR 60,000 in its anniversary<br />
year. After all, it was in 1838 – 175 years ago<br />
– that the sugar factory, which has retained<br />
its importance at a European level, was established<br />
in the Magdeburg Börde by 19 farmers,<br />
craftsmen and proprietors. Klein Wanzleben<br />
has since acquired the nickname “Zuckerdorf”,<br />
which means “sugar village”. This connects<br />
the two historically successful developments<br />
of the sugar factory and seed production of<br />
KWS. <br />
ed<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> helps<br />
Donations for<br />
flood victims<br />
“<strong>Nordzucker</strong> helps”, the internal fundraising<br />
campaign for the flood victims, raised almost EUR<br />
20,000 from employees, which the company then<br />
rounded up to EUR 50,000.<br />
“We are very impressed by our employees’<br />
willingness to donate and would like to thank all<br />
donors for their support. This result is evidence<br />
of the wonderful attitude of our employees,” says<br />
CEO Hartwig Fuchs.<br />
The donation will go to the alliance of German<br />
aid organisations “Hochwasser Aktion Deutschland<br />
Hilft e.V.” <br />
ed<br />
20 · 20 · 20<br />
Ideas to put into practice<br />
Lower Saxony beet day in Vinstedt<br />
The Lower Saxony beet<br />
day in Vinstedt, in the<br />
county of Uelzen, took<br />
place on 12 June 2013<br />
on the farm of Friedrich-<br />
Karl Bodin under the<br />
motto “Ideas to put into<br />
practice”. The overriding<br />
objective of the joint<br />
event held by the Lower<br />
Saxony Chamber of<br />
Agriculture, the beet farmers and shareholders’ association (Rübenanbauer-<br />
und Aktionärsverbandes Nord e. V.) and <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong> was<br />
to present forward-looking, production measures that could help to<br />
optimise the commercial viability of sugar beet further.<br />
“This beet day provided valuable ideas that can be put into practice<br />
in sugar beet production. It is a question of looking at all areas of<br />
production technology from the point of view of increasing yields and<br />
simultaneously cutting costs,” said Dr Niels Pörksen in praise of the event,<br />
which saw the participation of the entire national and international beet<br />
management team. The group was then given an extensive tour of the<br />
facility, kicking off an intensive 20 · 20 · 20 meeting (see report). ed<br />
24
Axel Aumüller<br />
COO <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong><br />
Personnel<br />
Axel Aumüller is the new Chairman<br />
of the Sugar Industry Association<br />
Axel Aumüller, member of the Executive Board of <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>,<br />
was elected Chairman of the Sugar Industry Association (VdZ) on<br />
11 June 2013.<br />
He succeeds Horst W. Mewis, who left office for age reasons<br />
after nine years. The <strong>Nordzucker</strong> COO is delighted to have been<br />
elected and describes the focus of his future work as follows, “The<br />
challenges for the sugar industry are growing constantly; we can<br />
see this particularly in the fields of food legislation, environment<br />
and energy. This means we need a strong Sugar Industry Association,<br />
which speaks with one voice and is committed to representing the<br />
interests of its members externally. And that is something I am proud<br />
to do.”<br />
The Sugar Industry Association, based in Bonn, is the consortium<br />
of sugar-producing companies in Germany. In addition to its<br />
function as an employers’ association, it campaigns for the interests<br />
of the industry in the areas of the economy, law and technology. <br />
ed<br />
Birthday<br />
Säkylä turns 60<br />
In 1953, the Säkylä sugar factory in Finland ran<br />
its first campaign, which means that it celebrates<br />
its 60th anniversary this year. The factory began<br />
its work at a time of rapid economic growth<br />
following the depression after the Second<br />
World War. Its success was also helped by the<br />
fact that rationing of sugar came to an end in<br />
the spring of 1953.<br />
The Finnish factory was able to process<br />
750 tonnes of beet per day during its first<br />
campaign. Over the years, its performance<br />
has improved and today an average of 7,500<br />
tonnes are processed per day during the<br />
campaign. The Säkylä sugar factory belongs<br />
to the Finnish part of the <strong>Nordzucker</strong> Group,<br />
together with the refinery in Porkala. ed<br />
Survey<br />
Farmers satisfied with<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Positive results in Group-wide<br />
farmer survey<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> launched a Group-wide survey<br />
for all beet farmers last spring. The focus of<br />
the survey this year was questions concerning<br />
advisory services, the quality and use of<br />
informational offerings and satisfaction with<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> as a business partner. Almost<br />
5,100 farmers from seven countries ultimately<br />
participated in the survey. The advice given<br />
by beet offices and communication with<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> received a much better rating<br />
than in the last survey, particularly in Germany<br />
and Poland. The last farmer survey took place<br />
in 2011. ed<br />
Finland<br />
Premiere in<br />
Kantvik<br />
A cargo ship with a shipment of<br />
raw sugar arrived in the Finnish<br />
town of Kantvik this spring. This<br />
shipment is the first raw sugar<br />
transport which <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
“closed”, or carried out, itself.<br />
“This means handling and coordinating<br />
everything from buying<br />
the raw sugar to chartering the ship and transporting it across the sea, as well as<br />
unloading the raw sugar in Finland, was organised entirely by us at <strong>Nordzucker</strong>,”<br />
says Andreas Tausent, Senior Manager Sea Logistics & Operations, and adds: “With<br />
this successful shipment, <strong>Nordzucker</strong> now has the chance to purchase raw sugar on<br />
a more widespread basis and load it directly as well as to optimise planning and<br />
costs.” <br />
ed<br />
Akzente July 2013 25
| PEOPLE AT NORDZUCKER |<br />
Kazimierz Kuśmierek<br />
Technical Manager Sugar<br />
House and Service Center,<br />
Chełmża, <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Polska<br />
Kazimierz Kuśmierek has been working<br />
at the Chełmża factory for 38<br />
years. He started here right after finishing<br />
his studies to become a food<br />
chemist / sugar technologist. “Our<br />
factory used to be part of a combine,<br />
which included an alcohol factory, a<br />
potash salt refinery and a dry ice factory,<br />
in addition to the sugar factory.<br />
At that time, I started in the dry ice<br />
factory and then moved on to grain<br />
and rapeseed drying,” he remembers.<br />
In 1977, Kazimierz Kuśmierek moved<br />
to the sugar factory. First he was a<br />
shift supervisor before becoming the<br />
head technologist in 1980 and head<br />
of the sugar factory in 1987. “In 2003<br />
I became a production engineer for<br />
crushing and extraction systems. Today<br />
I am a production engineer in the<br />
sugar house and am responsible for<br />
the service centre. In recent years, I<br />
have led a number of large modernisation<br />
projects, such as the upgrading<br />
of the factory to be become a sugar<br />
factory and refinery in 2007/2008. You<br />
could say that I know just about every<br />
pipe in our factory,” says Kazimierz<br />
Kuśmierek, smiling. <br />
nt<br />
26
| CLICKED ON |<br />
Looking online for <strong>Nordzucker</strong>, SweetFamily.<br />
<strong>Nordzucker</strong> Annual Report is online<br />
Digital Annual Report invites readers<br />
Leaf through our 2012/2013 Annual<br />
Report, which is now available on our<br />
website. The new format enables you<br />
to gain quick and easy access to the<br />
extensive amount of information in our<br />
current publication. You can access our<br />
digital Annual Report using the icon<br />
on the home page of our website<br />
(www.nordzucker.de) and in the<br />
“Shareholders” menu item.<br />
Sugar Forum inspires runners<br />
The Sugar Forum – an initiative of the<br />
German sugar industry – is currently<br />
using its website to inspire people to<br />
run. With tips from running therapist<br />
Joachum Janke and an interview with<br />
the European Ironman champion Timo<br />
Bracht. More information is available<br />
online at:<br />
www.mitzucker.de<br />
175jahre-nordzucker is online<br />
The “microsite” for the 175th anniversary<br />
is now online on <strong>Nordzucker</strong>’s website.<br />
Under the anniversary motto “Sustainable.<br />
Dedicated. Together.”, you can find<br />
information about the anniversary, a<br />
history of <strong>Nordzucker</strong> and information<br />
about local events during the year. You<br />
can also visit the microsite directly at<br />
www.175jahre-nordzucker.de<br />
Ideas from SweetFamily<br />
You can currently find recipe ideas for<br />
jams and jellies at www.sweet-family.de.<br />
Why not try the blueberry and strawberry<br />
fruit spread?<br />
Free Taste of the Year<br />
If you buy three sachets of SweetFamily<br />
Taste of the Year from the online shop,<br />
you will get one more sachet free. Check<br />
it out:<br />
www.sweet-family.de <br />
ed<br />
Running season has started<br />
SweetFamily: New recipes online<br />
175 years of <strong>Nordzucker</strong><br />
Imprint<br />
Published by: <strong>Nordzucker</strong> <strong>AG</strong>, Küchenstraße 9, 38100 Braunschweig, tel +49 (0)531 2411-348, fax +49 (0)531 2411-378, akzente@nordzucker.de | Editorial team (ed): Bianca Deppe-Leickel (bdl),<br />
Susanne Dismer-Puls (sdp), Oliver Ditsch, Frank Knälmann, Tomas Kocis, Mariann Mellström (mm), Thordis Möller (tm), Tanja Schneider-Diehl (tsd), Dr. Klaus Schumacher (kds), Marion Stumpe, Nina Tatter (nt),<br />
Layout: Sieler Kommunikation und Gestaltung GmbH, Frankfurt | Printed by: Leinebergland Druck GmbH & Co. KG, Alfeld | Image credits: Günter Nimptsch, Nordic Sugar (Apelöga), <strong>Nordzucker</strong>, Shutterstock<br />
Akzente July 2013 27
Rote Grütze compote<br />
in mini sponge rolls<br />
Ingredients (for 10 pieces):<br />
750 g mixed berries<br />
(fresh or frozen)<br />
1 packet SweetFamily<br />
1-2-3 Rote Grütze<br />
6 eggs (medium size)<br />
150 g “Unser Feinster”<br />
SweetFamily sugar (extra fine sugar)<br />
120 g flour<br />
250 ml whipping cream<br />
1 sachet vanilla sugar<br />
Preparation:<br />
Prepare Rote Grütze as indicated on the packet.<br />
Beat eggs until foamy, add 120 g of sugar, then<br />
beat for another 4 minutes until the foam is<br />
springy. Fold in the flour. Spread the mixture<br />
evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper.<br />
Bake in a preheated oven (180°C, top and bottom<br />
heat) for approximately 12 minutes.<br />
Sprinkle the remaining sugar over a dishcloth.<br />
Place the hot tray with the sponge facing down<br />
on the cloth. Brush cold water over the baking<br />
paper quickly and then remove the paper.<br />
Spread half of the Rote Grütze over the sponge,<br />
roll it up lengthways and cut into ten pieces.<br />
Whip the cream with the vanilla sugar until it<br />
has thickened and serve with the mini sponge<br />
rolls and the remaining Rote Grütze.<br />
Preparation time: approx. 35 minutes<br />
Per piece approximately:<br />
358 kcal<br />
12 g fat<br />
54,6 g carbohydrates<br />
6,9 g protein<br />
For more tips and<br />
tasty recipes, visit:<br />
www.sweet-family.de