Spring weather and CAP reform have combined to make a crop that was, until a couple of years ago, crucial to the profitability of eastern counties farms look very questionable indeed. A 37% cut in the EU price of sugar was the first blow. Many growers said they could not produce for the new price of around £20/t that will drop by a further £2 or £3 over the next few years. But most, in those regions that still have processing plants (two have closed since last year) decided to give the crop one more year, just in case it worked out OK. EU compensation for the lower price (even though it is supposed to be decoupled from production) would, in any case, reduce the risk of serious losses in the short term.
But crop establishment this spring has been dire in places, especially on strong land where it was impossible to create fine seedbeds. Most were drilled in late March or early April into land that was drying out fast after February rain. The anticipation was that even though some seeds did not go in onto moisture there would be enough April showers to make them germinate.
As we now know that did not happen. April, in Norfolk anyway, was the driest since weather records began in 1843. And although May was the wettest since 1843 (125mm on this farm) the rain came too late.
The result on this farm and many others is part fields where seedbed moisture was avaiable at drilling time where the leaves of the beet plants will soon meet across the rows. But on headlands, where necessary extra cultivations dried out the soil and other worryingly large areas, a much reduced plant count has only recently emerged following May rains. Those late germinating beet will never catch up and the uneven sizes of roots will cause problems for harvesters in the autumn. In short, yields will be significantly reduced and income from the crop even less than expected.
Add to that the fact that fewer EU growers and sugar processors than anticipated surrendered their quota following the reform and that the Commission, faced with failing to comply with its international commitments, is taking further measures to make growing even less attractive. Future prospects for sugar beet begin to look grim.
Comments (1)
after reading davids article posted june 3 rd about sugar beet i waited to comment on said article to see how our own beet performed under the terible conditions we have faced too this year. we started lifting as soon as newark factory opened and so far have harvest 511 tons of adjusted beet of 21.5 acres this in no way is a record but compared to many other crops seen will be some of the better and our last 30 acres will be far far better. but it is ironic that in a year when conditions have pushed us and many other growers to there wits end british sugar has shut it's most northern factory cuttting of some of the best growers that never are trully seen because stock feed markets command a far better return than bs will pay for c beet. It is now even more ironic that the beet we have left in the ground , we are been offered more for by livestock producers than bs themselves will pay for quota beet and in a year when many will be quitting beet altogether do we wish to deliver to newark at great expense rather than to a local market ? these people would normally use beet pulp but as that is sky high too are turning to the cheaper raw material which some are saying is far better feed value any how.we may be only small producers ourselves and i personally am young in age to most fellow farmers at 32 but when are not just british sugar but most people we supply too going to learn that yes people in farming today are passionate on what they are doing but we wish to be rewarded for all our efforts finacially and not with the prices our fathers were recieving in 1985 when i was ten years old.we personally have quit beet after one year at newark not because grain has risen but because the effort that goes into the crop is no way rewarded . beet is a delightful crop to grow and there is only one way to grow it and that's properly but passion does not pay for families or the lifestyle they need today.
Posted by mark terry | September 24, 2007 7:37 PM
Posted on September 24, 2007 19:37