100 years of Swiss sugar from Aarberg (Summary)

The sugar mill and refinery Aarberg AG (ZRA). was founded in Aarberg on November 16, 1912. There had been a previous sugar factory to open in Aarberg before 1899. This had come to an abrupt end in January 1912, following a devastating fire. The disaster was not to spell the end of Swiss sugar, however.

Since its founding in 1912, the sugar factory in Aabert supplied the local population and food industry with reliable Swiss sugar despite extremely difficult times, two world wars and radical changes in agriculture.

Fifty-one years later, in 1963, a second major Swiss sugar factory began operation, in Frauenfeld. In 1997, the two independent companies merged into one – Zuckerfabriken Aarberg and Frauenfeld AG (ZAF). Today, both of these Swiss sugar installations are in an excellent position, with disposition over the latest technical facilities. Their processing capacities have continuously risen and, during today’s campaign, each factory processes about 10,000 t of sugar beet per day.

Today’s Swiss sugar business is competitive, ecololgical, and has operated without any direct government subsidies since 2009. Domestic beet cultivation has grown substantially in economic importance. More than 6,000 Swiss farmers today cultivate sugar beet on an area of approximately 20,000 ha. ZAF produces about 250,000 t of sugar each year. The company makes a significant contribution to the security of supply, both for the important local food industry and for private households.