This picture was sent to us by Robert Congreve who farms near Spalding in Lincolnshire and shows the "topsy turvy seasons that are currently being experienced".

He's started lifting beet early this year - beginning on Friday for delivery to Wissington.

"The crop is being loaded onto Wrights transport for factory trials ahead of the factory fully opening for the start of the campaign on Wednesday 14th," says Robert. "The irony is that there is a crop of Oakley wheat in the background drilled in January that we are still waiting to combine."

And here's a picture from Robert Congreve of the harvester at work on September 9.

After last year’s disappointment, could we be heading for a record year for sugar beet yields in 2011? A 14ha field of KWS Rosalinda lifted this week has yielded more than 100t/ha (18% sugar content) on light land near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Are you seeing higher than expected yields at this early stage in the campaign? Do you think we are going to see a bumper crop? Tell us about your early beet yields. 

 I presume that field was irrigated?

Hi TeslaCoils,

 I am reliably informed that the field was irrigated, but only a couple of weeks prior to lifting – mainly to help get it out of the ground – no irrigation was used prior to this.

 As stated in the copy in the penultimate paragraph... "A fortnight before it was lifted, the crop was irrigated with 25mm of water."

^.^

Early lifted, unirrigated, light land, 100t/ha. No, no and again, no ! Real light land might just do 70t if the sugars are good and it was a wet season..... and lifted in December.

Sounds like dry conditions might mean the talk of record yields was a tad premature...

The sugar beet harvest is showing above average yields....