No profit, no beet
Ahead of the outcome of price negotiations between British Sugar and the NFU, Andrew Blake canvasses the views of growers and technical specialists on the way forward

Growers sceptical over 70t/ha yield
There are views aplenty, mainly driven by soil type, over the realism of British Sugar’s target yield of 70t/ha (28t/acre) within four years.

Few ways the best can raise their game
Among accomplished growers there are relatively limited opportunities to improve returns through better husbandry, our poll suggests.

Cut costs: Machine use and storage
Current estimates are that 25% of harvester engine hours are spent out of the crop, indicating this as an area with plenty of scope for improvement, says Mr May.