CZECH AND POLISH SUGAR MARKET CONCENTRATION - DEVELOPMENT AND PERSPECTIVES

The sugar industry is currently facing a number of changes. Structural changes affecting its character can be observed in a number of Western, Central and Eastern European countries. Significant changes can be seen in the case of EU members, in particular those that have undergone a number of sugar policy reforms over the past two decades, which have resulted in the abolition of sugar quotas in EU countries. In the long run, EU sugar industry is undergoing dynamic development - it is increasing the productivity and concentration, and changing the nature of the market and market regulation processes. Many authors have recently addressed the issue of market concentration at the level of individual sugar producers, but there is no comprehensive view of the concentration level throughout the vertical. The main aim of this paper is to identify the changes in the development of industry concentration and to define the position of sugar industry in the whole value chain in Poland and Czechia. Consequently, the research shows that the position of Czech sugar factories in the value chain has increased significantly. In Poland, the concentration of sugar factories has remained unchanged over the period under review. Throughout the value chain, sugar manufacturers have a strong position, both in relation to retail and in relation to sugar beet producers and consumers in the food industry.