The Bury St Edmunds sugar factory closed its gates last week after successfully concluding its 100th sugar beet campaign.  

After recent seasons marked by agronomic challenges, weak demand and disappointing returns from many traditional spring crops, identifying a profitable, low-risk break crop with secure market outlets has become increasingly difficult for UK arable farmers, said Jack Holgate, commercial director at Boston Seeds.

Following the announcement that mancozeb would be withdrawn from use in the UK at the end of the 2025 season, the industry has been assessing all possible routes to support growers through the transition. This includes exploring the feasibility of an emergency authorisation application for continued use on potato crops for 2026.