Beet harvest is under way. Mike Abram finds out how growers have reacted to last year’s weather problems

After last season’s disastrous ending to the sugar beet campaign, many growers were insisting their beet would have to be lifted earlier this season. But for many the logistics of organising earlier harvesting and delivery is likely to prove difficult.

Most contractors just don’t have the spare capacity to lift more beet earlier, explains Kit Papworth of LF Papworth Farms, which runs the White Cross sugar beet harvesting syndicate lifting over 900ha of beet in Norfolk.

“For a self-propelled six-row harvester it is almost impossible to lift more than 1,200ha in a season. We start lifting from the first week of the season and are flat out on virtually every harvestable day.”

There has been pressure within the group for a shift in when crops are lifted, he admits. “For the previous two seasons growers wanted to lift beet later so they could benefit from the yield increases from leaving beet in the ground until November. Now, after last year, they want to lift a little earlier.

“But there is only a certain amount we can do logistically, so I don’t think there will be much difference between this year and last year. If we can lift a week earlier than last year, we will have done well.”

Richard Cobbald, farm manager for the 1,300ha West Wrattling Park Estate near Cambridge, believes lifting dates for beet in his 3,000t contract this season are unlikely to be much different to usual.

“Ideally, I’d like to do things a little differently and lift and deliver some in November and December, along with some in October.”

As a light land grower, usually 50% is lifted in October with the rest in early January, he says. “It is difficult as a grower unless you have your own harvester and haulage to dictate when you’re going to lift.”

One major change he is hoping will happen is to be accepted into the Bury Beet Group. “Being in the group will help with continuity of cashflow, which was a problem last year when beet deliveries were delayed, as well as receiving a £1/t bonus from the group for late lifting and insurance against loss of crop.”

That would help take some of the risk out of late lifting, but Mr Cobbald would also like British Sugar to think carefully about how much extra tonnage it issues heavy land growers, which has to be lifted earlier. “Not enough thought is being given where beet is being grown.”

Lincolnshire grower Mark Ireland is hoping to have a little more lifted by Christmas this year than usual. “Ideally we’re looking to have 25% left in the field after Christmas rather than the 35% we would have had if everything had gone to plan last year. In the end it was 60% left.”

By lifting earlier he hopes to mitigate partly against weather risks. It will also mean clamping more beet in December than usual. That does mean accepting a loss of sugar in the clamp and potentially some root yield loss from lifting before the crop finishes growing, he admits. “But it is better than a complete loss.”

Mr Papworth believes there will be some growers who clamp more beet this season, but he prefers to continue with a just-in-time lifting policy. “We learned a lot last winter about managing crops in cold winter. For example, we’ve just applied a second fungicide to protect the green leaf, which helped keep beet harvestable last season.

“Clamping beet is not a recipe for success. Lifting just-in-time works – why lose sugar and yield?”

Norfolk grower Robert Congreve is, perhaps, one of the fortunate few with the possibility of shifting his harvesting date earlier for the entire crop. “We normally lift some beet early for the Wissington factory to test its machinery prior to opening.”

But last year a good proportion of the remaining beet, usually lifted in November, fell foul to the weather, with 40% of the crop frozen. “So I’ve talked to my contractor and we will be lifting everything early this season, so I can get a decent wheat crop in and get the rotation back into shape. We have been shown a little bit of understanding after last year, and it will probably be a one-off.”

With only 10ha to lift and a 600t contract to fulfil he admits his small area is relatively straightforward to clear early, but says lifting early does carry some risk. “We have to make quota so we get half the seed costs back from British Sugar.”

Late lifting bonus warning

Late lifting bonuses paid by British Sugar to encourage growers to leave beet in the ground after November do not adequately reflect the risk growers take, Mr Papworth says.

“British Sugar want to run factories longer than just about any other country in the world, but it is not really its risk. It is growers who have the risk of losing their crops like last season and the bonus needs to reflective of the, say one in eight years, when you might lose a crop and / or get a massive reduction in the following spring barley crop.

“At the moment it is not enough.”

Competing break crop options will also start to look more attractive in comparison, he warns, particularly if leaked sugar regime reforms that could reduce the price beet growers are paid in the future prove true.

“British Sugar made a commitment when the new contract terms were made that beet would be the best non-cereal option. Already I’m not sure how British Sugar can get beet as profitable as oilseed rape. If the price goes down, that would be another nail in the coffin.”

Clamp construction advice

General – all clamps:

• Clamps should be built in an open area to aid ventilation and cooling

• Choose a firm, well drained site suitable for loading and unloading

• Never push beet up the face of a clamp as it compacts beet and restricts air movement increasing rate of sugar loss

• Beet stores best clean, with only minimal harvesting damage

Early season clamps:

• Clamp for no longer than a few days and less than two weeks

• Do not cover or have retaining walls

• Should have maximum surface area possible to reduce sugar loss

• Leave as individually tipped loads no more than 2m high

Late season clamps:

• No more than 2.5m high with a level surface to prevent frost pockets

• Build with straw retaining walls. Place bales on pallets with open end facing outwards to aid ventilation

• Only use sheeting if ground temperatures forecast to be below -3C. Use sheets made of polyfelt

A-shaped clamps for self-propelled loaders:

• Build in A-shape of appropriate width to allow machine to operate efficiently

• Place beet on flat surface without ruts, normally on headland

• Best built with harvester to avoid rutting in clamp base

Haulage scheme

Around 10% of the crop will be transported by British Sugar within its transport scheme this season, which has been rolled out across all four factories for the first time.

The scheme is voluntary, providing an option to allow British Sugar to cart the crop at the expense of the transport allowance offered by the firm to growers who arrange their own haulage. British Sugar is banking on being able to organise haulage cheaper than what it would cost it in transport allowance.

“Ultimately growers will weigh up the relative economics of both systems before deciding whether to switch,” says David Papworth of LF Papworth Farms.

Growers who use the scheme can also choose to allow British Sugar to arrange lifting of the crop, with payment deducted from the grower’s account on delivery of the beet. The harvesting service is not available to growers without being in the transport scheme.

Ten hauliers have been selected to transport beet this season, says Richard Nicholls, head of commercial agriculture for British Sugar. “Rates have been individually agreed with each, with payments being made on a weekly basis. British Sugar assigns the haulier to collect beet following an agreed schedule with the grower.”

That agreement is made prior to the start of the campaign, which theoretically could have allowed growers to negotiate earlier lifting dates this season. But unrealistic requests, such as moving 3,000t of beet in September, will almost certainly have been rejected, Mr Papworth points out.

Most hauliers will offer self-propelled “Maus-type” cleaner loaders, which load directly from the field rather than concrete pads, alongside more traditional cleaner loaders. Their use is one way British Sugar will hope for the operation to become most cost-effective and efficient.

But while they work at a fast rate and eliminate the cost of hauling beet to permanent clamps, their use doesn’t suit every field. “A lot of growers in Norfolk, for example, have invested in concrete pads because they want to plough and drill quickly after harvest and do the whole field at the same time.”

• David Papworth suggests yield prospects for this year’s crop are good in this video

• Are you lifting beet early this year or heard of anyone else doing so?

• Have your say about the coming beet season – and read what others think – on our website forums.