Positioning of the Croatian sugar industry on the European Union market

Proizvodnja šećera kao prehrambenog, a potom i industrijskog proizvoda razvija se kontinuirano i usporedo tijekom cijelog perioda razvoja čovječanstva. Kako je raslo i evoluiralo čovječanstvo, tako je rasla i evoluirala proizvodnja šećera. Isprva je šećer predstavljao statusni simbol, pretpostavljalo se kako ima nadnaravna svojstva, bio je lijek, začin ili dodatak prehrani. Ozbiljnija proizvodnja šećera, na rudimentarnoj industrijskoj razini započinje netom po otkriću Novog svijeta, kada se, zdušno potpomognuta robovskim radom, šećerna trska počinje uzgajati u španjolskim kolonijama, a već je negdje oko 1516. godine iz te regije šećer, kao gotovi proizvod, prvi put bio prevezen natrag u Europu. Na hrvatskom teritoriju prva proizvodnja šećera, doduše preradom uvezenog šećera iz šećerne trske, zabilježena je sredinom osamnaestog stoljeća na području Rijeke. Početkom dvadesetog stoljeća, ponajviše zaslugom stranih investitora, s područja zemalja tadašnje Austro-Ugarske Monarhije, dolazi do otvaranja modernih pogona za proizvodnu šećera preradom šećerne repe, i to prvo u Osijeku 1905. godine, a potom u Belomu Manastiru 1908. godine. Sredinom i u drugoj polovici dvadesetog stoljeća s radom su na teritoriju današnje Republike Hrvatske započele još dvije tvornice šećera, i to u Županji 1947. godine i u Virovitici 1980. godine. Od tada je industrija proizvodnje šećera u Republici Hrvatskoj prerasla, uz veće ili manje uzlete i padove, u respektabilnu i izvozno orijentiranu industrijsku granu. Pristupanjem Republike Hrvatske Europskoj uniji, hrvatskoj industriji proizvodnje šećera otvorena je prilika za bolje pozicioniranje na tržištu koje ima više od 500 milijuna potrošača. Unatoč tome, površine zasijane šećernom repom u Republici Hrvatskoj, a samim time i proizvodnja šećera iz šećerne repe, od 2006. do 2016. godine bilježe konstantan pad. U istom periodu općenito stagnira izvoz šećera iz Republike Hrvatske, posebno na prirodno i tradicionalno nam sklono tržište Europske unije. Ova doktorska disertacija nastoji sagledati i razumjeti ukupne proizvodno-ekonomske prilike i potencijale hrvatske industrije proizvodnje šećera, a potom, nakon što se identificiraju i testiraju ključni parametri koji utječu na razinu konkurentnosti, provjeriti koji su to čimbenici s najvećim utjecajem na izraženu razinu komparativne prednosti – europske i potom, posljedično, hrvatske industrije proizvodnje šećera.Production of sugar as a foodstuff and subsequently as an industrial product has been developing continuously and along with the entire development of mankind. As the mankind had been advancing and evolving, so had the sugar production. At first, sugar was considered a status symbol. It was believed that it had supernatural qualities and it was used as a cure, a spice or a dietary supplement. Sugar production on a larger scale, at the rudimentary industrial level, begins with the discovery of the New World. At that time, the sugar cane was planted and grown in Spanish colonies, strongly boosted by slave labour. Sugar as the final product was shipped back to Europe from that region for the first time around 1516. The first sugar production recorded on the Croatian territory, although primarily consisting of the imported cane sugar processing, was recorded in the mid-18th century in the Rijeka area. At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the foreign investors from the territory of the then Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, modern sugar production facilities for processing of sugar beet had been opened first in Osijek in 1905 and then in Beli Manastir in 1908. Around the mid-20th century and in its second half, two other sugar factories were established on the territory of the present-day Republic of Croatia, in Županja (1947) and in Virovitica (1980). Since then and after going through a number of ups and downs, the sugar production industry in the Republic of Croatia has grown into a respectable and export-oriented industry sector. The Republic of Croatia’s accession to the European Union has given a chance to the Croatian sugar industry to position itself on a market with more than 500 million consumers. The agricultural areas planted with sugar beet in the Republic of Croatia had been steadily decreasing between 2006 and 2016, along with the production of sugar from sugar beet. In the same period, the export of sugar from the Republic of Croatia to the generally favourable EU market had stagnated. This doctoral thesis seeks to assess and make an overview of the overall production and economic opportunities and potentials of the Croatian sugar production industry. Furthermore, after identifying and testing the key parameters that are affecting the level of competitiveness, it seeks to examine the most influential factors affecting the expressed level of comparative advantage, of both the European and consequently the Croatian sugar production industry