MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Russia has become the world’s biggest producer of beet sugar outpacing France, the United States and Germany, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said at the government meeting on Thursday.

"(Russia) has become the world’s top beet sugar producer ahead of France, the United States and Germany in this area" due to a record sugar beet harvest of more than 48 mln tonnes last year, he said.

According to the ministry’s data, the country's sugar production totals 6 mln tonnes, compared with 5 mln tonnes produced by France, 4.8 mln tonnes - by the United States and 4.5 mln tonnes - by Germany.

Tkachev said that almost 100,000 tonnes of sugar have been exported since the beginning of this season (August 1), a ten-fold increase compared with the full previous season (2015-2016). "We estimate export potential at more than 200,000 tonnes of sugar," the minister added.