Sugar Beet News

British Sugar and NFU Sugar have agreed a deal after weeks of intense negotiations, with particular contention over the futures linked contract.

British Sugar’s Wissington factory opened its doors to press at the end of November, providing an update on this year’s campaign and work being done to tackle virus yellows and carbon emissions – as well as answering questions on next year’s beet contracts. Sarah Kidby reports.

Intense negotiations between British Sugar and NFU Sugar over next year’s beet contract have reached an impasse, meaning they will now move to arbitration.

Allowing tariff-free access to sugar from any country would undercut the UK’s sugar beet sector, NFU warns.

Negotiations between British Sugar and NFU Sugar will now recommence after reaching an impasse earlier this month.

According to the BBRO’s latest bulletin in early November, poor harvesting conditions – with already wet soil continually being topped up by further rain – have led to slow and challenging harvest progress for many, with operators having to be selective in where they can travel and constantly having to change harvesting plans.

British Sugar has today (1st November) contacted its 2,300 sugar beet growers with details of its contract offer for the 2024-25 growing season.

With the British sugar beet campaign well and truly underway, many farmers and haulage companies are now transporting sugar beet to the factories. Keeping farmers and industry workers safe is a key topic right now – here are some important things to consider regarding trailer load safety and security.

In early September, Farmers Guide visited Shotley Peninsula farmer Geoffrey Mayhew in Suffolk as he began lifting some early crop for this year’s sugar beet campaign.

As the sun rose on a hot September morning, the Bury St Edmunds British Sugar factory was busy at work. A constant stream of lorries, carrying the very first harvested sugar beet deliveries of the season, piled the sugar beet high across the open courtyard, witnessed by Farmers Guide.

As this year’s sugar beet campaign gets into full swing, and growers are planning crop rotations for next year, British Sugar has announced its current offer for the 2024/25 year, plus a ‘market-linked bonus’.

Developed specifically for the UK, Xbeet enrich 300 has been shown to deliver consistent yield increases in trials and on farm.