FARMER FOCUS: Sugar beet price issue still not resolved
What a difference a few weeks can make. The badly hail-damaged sugar beet that I feared might be a write-off has recovered quite well. It still has issues where a small area was under water last winter and is a little behind, but it looks better than I could have hoped for a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately, we currently still have the ongoing issue of beet pricing for next season hanging over us, and the culture of uncertainty continues. Like most growers I would like to carry on growing sugar beet, but I need a price that allows an increased margin by comparison with easier-to-grow combinable break crops.
The current offered price does not do that and I hope with our support the NFU Sugar team can negotiate a price that is enough to satisfy us growers, while leaving an appropriate margin for British Sugar.
Our open day went well, with a good turnout to see the various KWS wheat and sugar beet varieties growing here at Flegcroft Farm. It was generally agreed that the wheat looked well, and with drier weather and a sensible, but robust fungicide programme, the ear disease problems of last year will hopefully not be repeated.
The oilseed crop looks reasonable, but I fear the cold spring and extended pressure of rainfall in winter and early spring must have put some pressure on yield. Harvest is going to be later than average here, so I have a bit of a wait to see how they have done.
Jayne and I had an enjoyable day at the East of England showground, helping with the “Kids Country” day. More than 4,000 school children toured the showground, learning the basics of modern food production. It was a steep learning curve for all of us, but we felt the day went very well and was a good starting point for an annual event.
Well done to the organisers and helpers for creating something that had a superb educational value and also promoted the food and farming industry to the consumers of tomorrow.
Philip Bradshaw grows cereals, sugar beet and potatoes on 300ha of fenland and other soil types at Flegcroft Farm, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire
