The contract offer is built around choice and flexibility, including:

• Security of a core £38/t price for beet delivered 
• Added potential with a market-linked bonus; which would deliver over £40/t in today’s sugar market 
• Peace of mind if growers choose British Sugar’s Yield Protection contract for a core price of £37/t 
• Easing growers’ cashflow with the unique cash advance.

Dan Green, British Sugar agriculture director, said: “Today we have written to our growers to offer a competitive core price contract for the 2024/25 sugar beet crop of £38 per tonne. As well as a high fixed price element, we have built in a mechanism which allows us to pay a market-linked bonus and share any possible upside if sugar prices remain high. This would deliver over £40/t in today’s sugar market. 

“Once again, growers can tailor their own contract; we are offering a yield protection product to mitigate against risk (£1/t); a 20% cash advance to ease cashflow in the middle of the year and a late delivery allowance to growers who choose to deliver after Christmas. British Sugar will also continue to pay for frost insurance, at no extra cost to our growers – as we found out in 2022/23, this can be critical in the most severe situations. 

“I am sorry to say that, despite our best endeavours and months of negotiation, we have not yet been able to agree a price and full terms and conditions with NFU Sugar. We will continue to work through the negotiation and dispute resolution process with them. However, we know that as we are now at the start of November, growers need the financial security of a contract and the certainty of a guaranteed price as soon as possible.  

“We are confident that this offer is extremely competitive, making beet the most profitable crop on farm and will ensure it remains an attractive crop for growers across the East and East Midlands.”

The post British Sugar reveals contract offer for 2024/25 appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The nature of farming now means that transporting goods along roads with tractors and trailers is becoming more and more of a necessity. When transporting goods, it is important to consider load security and particularly to ensure that loads are secured in a safe way that complies with the law.

When transporting goods by vehicle or trailer, the law states that you must ensure the load is secured so that the use of the vehicle or trailer does not involve a risk of danger or injury to any person.

The law also states that: “The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other than its own weight, and be in such a position, that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the vehicle.”

This means that, regardless of whether a trailer is half full or competely full, it should be sheeted or otherwise secured in an appropriate way. As clarified by the DVSA: “All users, including employers, self-employed farmers and drivers, must assess and manage risk during loading, transport, and unloading agricultural products. This includes considering the risk of load movement during the journey and during unloading, along with other risks such as working at height and manual handling.

“Part 4 of the guidance provides detail on netting and sheeting loads and clearly states that users must sheet and/or net their loads to stop them from bouncing upwards on open vehicles unless the load is secured by other means. In part 1 of the guide, under the section ‘What a load securing system is’, it states this can consist of the structure of the vehicle or trailer.

“In practical terms, this means that a user can consider a load to be secure if their risk assessment shows that a load is below the height of the trailer/vehicle body to the extent that the structure of the vehicle sufficiently secures it without the need for any other security measure.

“The risk assessment should include consideration of action from wind and (more likely important for agricultural product) bounce out of the trailer/vehicle. Overall, users must make sure the load and the way it is secured does not present a risk of danger or nuisance to other road users.

“If loads are not secured adequately, fines and points may be awarded. Drivers and employers are at risk as the law applies to drivers and anyone who causes or permits the use of vehicles deemed to be unsafe.”

The DVSA has advised that roadside examiners will take a pragmatic approach, but action will be taken if loads are found to be unsafe.

But trailer safety goes much further than just load security. Trailer maintenance in general needs to be carreid out correctly and proactively.

Farmers Guide spoke to trailer safety campaigner Jane Gurney, founder of the Tilly trailer Pass and #headtotow app, following the launch of the Root Crop Campaign 2023 #RCC23, who commented: “It’s of the utmost importance that farmers and contractors are aware of and act on their legal requirements during the autumn carting season. Many trailers are being submitted for inspection, service and certification, but still this leaves us with trailers of varying ages that are not being presented for an annual inspection in accordance with the HSE Regulation 5 (www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2306/regulation/5).

“Our latest statistics come from the farmers who are being proactive, the ones that are submitting their trailers for an inspection. So, what is happening to the remaining seen working on and off the farm?

“A healthy maintenance program should never be seen as an option when owning or operating machinery. We are all aware of the facts and that there is a legal requirement to comply, but it seems that misinformation is our industry’s biggest stumbling block.

“We also see a lack of training when operating an agricultural or indeed any size trailer between the ring-fenced farm and highway. The point of compliance means we can all prosper from each other’s safety.

“Maintenance pre-harvest not only reduces the risks of incidents but also improves the performance of your machines. Trailers of all ages are submitted for an overhaul, and that investment can limit the amount of time lost when equipment goes wrong in the middle of harvest.

“When it comes to load security, straps must be in good condition – not worn or frayed. They must be sufficiently rated to the weight of the load, and lashing straps should be used to secure loads rather than ropes unless they are demonstrably rated.

“To follow best practice, all loose loads should be sheeted to prevent loads from bouncing or blowing out – whatever the type of trailer you use.

“You must check your load is secure every time you take your trailer out whether for a short or a long journey.

“There is plenty of help available, but accessing misinformation can cost lives. We always recommend you ask for professional qualified advice – contact us at https://tillypass.co.uk.”

The post Transporting sugar beet safely – guidance on the rules appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Based at Pond Farm, Erwarton, Geoff Mayhew of Geoffrey Mayhew Farms Ltd farms 820ha of mixed arable cropping on the light, sandy soils of the Shotley Peninsula, in Suffolk.

Mr Mayhew has 150ha of beet in the ground this year, with sugar beet grown at least one year in five. Having grown beet consistently for over 50 years, he’s well versed in the peaks and troughs of this fickle root crop.

The arable rotation also includes Group 1 milling wheat (if they can get the premium), malting barley (a key crop for the farm which dovetails nicely with the sugar beet), potatoes for the pre-packed sector, and a few legumes which replaced OSR after the flea beetle made it unfeasible.

In addition, he’s recently moved from onions to parsley, which is grown on a contract.

Residual boost

Mr Mayhew explains that cereal rotations have their own inherent problems when it comes to building up disease, creating a heavy reliance on pesticides – whereas introducing root crops gives a big boost to the following cereals by breaking the disease cycle, and giving a good, clean start for the wheat.

The residual nutrition from the sugar beet, along with the soil structural benefits created by the deep, heavy roots, all aid cereal crops in establishing well.

Soil health is a key part of Mr Mayhew’s management plan, and requires a lot of attention to detail. He ensures he harvests beet in good conditions to limit soil damage, and has purchased a new trailer with flotation tyres to reduce compaction, as well as investing in a second-hand Garford V6 Hydro trailed harvester – which is comparatively light at only around 5t and doesn’t require a high hp tractor to pull it.

The emphasis in the sugar beet industry, he says, is on huge, “monstrous” machines which are aimed far more towards contractors; but for Mr Mayhew, the financial and soil health benefits of using smaller machines are important. The machinery can be used by members of his close-knit team, keeping them in employment over the winter months. Plus, thanks to the fairly basic engineering, Mr Mayhew can generally maintain the machinery himself.

The harvester lifts six rows, just as the larger machines do, with the trade-off being that it runs a little slower in comparison.

The farming enterprise also grows potatoes, which Mr Mayhew says involves a greater level of time and investment, so, for him, keeping the sugar beet crop as easy to manage as possible is the best practical decision.

Varietal advantages

Mr Mayhew’s variety of choice this year is Smart Rixta KWS from the Conviso Smart sugar beet system, which he opted for in order to simplify the herbicide programme on the
farm, and enable good yields and healthy crops.

He hopes the Smart beet breeding programme will further develop to improve other agronomic features, particularly in terms of aphid and virus yellows resistance. Although they command “quite a premium”, for Mr Mayhew the Smart varieties are a vital part of his sugar beet programme in terms of weed beet control and maintaining margins.

This year saw a late start to drilling due to the wet march; the crop was drilled relatively late on 15th April, compared to previous years. But in hindsight, Mr Mayhew says it was a good situation as conditions were optimum and the following weather was ideal for good establishment.

“The dry June meant some of the beet on the lightest soil needed irrigating, but the good contract price helped to justify the water expense,” he explains.

“The top growth this year has been phenomenal – I’ve never seen such a healthy foliage, but whether that transfers to sugar remains to be seen.”

Many growers believe sugars may well be low, particularly this early in the season. However, with the green leaf area, and the warm, sunny weather that followed in September and early October, levels should rise
as the season progresses.

Disease control

Despite an emergency derogation being granted for 2023, Mr Mayhew opted not to treat seed with Cruiser, as the various restrictions on future cropping make it impossible for him to undertake all his cover cropping and other Environmental Stewardship projects – something he finds very frustrating.

“Instead, I’m having to carry on foliar spraying to control aphids, which is not ideal. For me, the biggest environmental win would be for seed companies to successfully breed resistance into the varieties.”

This year’s weather has been ideal for growing beet on the light, sandy loam soil seen on the Peninsula. The sugar beet have remained healthy, with no incidences of flagging or losing leaf, which was a problem last year as a result of drought stress. In fact, last year the sugar content was so low (at around 14% at times), Mr Mayhew had to absorb some post-harvest deductions.

To avoid the same situation this year, with prices at £40/t, he feels it justifies investment in a robust fungicide programme in order to retain the green leaf area for improved sugar content.

The first fungicide was applied in late July due to there being such a large green leaf area with a touch of mildew showing, which provided good control. The second spray was in early September, and he hopes this will carry them through without any further application needed.

The 28ha of early-lifted crop for British Sugar’s early delivery scheme, didn’t receive any fungicide, and rust was very apparent – which Mr Mayhew says highlights how significant the disease would be in the main crop if it didn’t receive the fungicide programme.

Challenges and benefits

Mr Mayhew is a member of the Beet Delivery Scheme with British Sugar, so lifts to order. The final crop is likely to be harvested in February, which he says marries nicely into his min-till drilled malting barley.

For Mr Mayhew, the challenges of growing sugar beet – virus yellows, input costs and weather extremes – are outweighed by the rotational benefits. “As long as I get a fair contract price, it’s a valuable crop in terms of organic matter returned to soil,” he comments. “Plus, I’m applying organic matter prior to drilling beet, which gives them a bit of moisture resilience, improves soil structure and boosts the overall SOM. I also use British Sugar digestates, which creates a sustainable loop.”

It’s a long game – but, says Mr Mayhew, one which benefits the whole farm.

For more Sugar Beet news from Farmers guide click here.

The post Sugar beet : It’s a long game, which benefits the whole farm appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The Bury St Edmunds site was the first of four British Sugar factories to open its doors in early September, announcing the beginning of the 2023/2024 sugar beet campaign. The Newark site was soon to follow a week later on 11th September, with British Sugar’s largest site of all in Wissington opening on 21st September. British Sugar is now firing on all cylinders, having just opened its fourth site on 9th October.

Farmers Guide took the opportunity to see the first deliveries of the campaign up close, having been kindly invited on site by Andy Simms, general site manager of British Sugar at the Bury St Edmunds site.

Ambient temperatures for sugar beet

Alongside a tour of the site, Andy spoke to us about how early operations at the Bury St Edmunds factory were fairing.

“Most of the kit onsite hasn’t run since February. We are getting it going and finding leaks so there are challenges with that, but we’ve had a safe and reliable start-up.”

Early September clung onto the high summer temperatures of late August, which created testing conditions for Andy’s team.

“Our biggest challenge has been the ambient temperatures; it’s really warm in the sugar factory. For our colleagues inside on a day of 30 degrees, it’s very warm work. It’s a lovely temperature for sugar beet, for sugar content. When the temperatures start to drop, it gets easier for our colleagues inside the factory.”

A net energy exporter

The Bury St Edmunds site is vast, and requires lots of staffing throughout the sugar-making process.

“Across the pre-silo operation, where we make the sugar, and the post silo operation, where we package the sugar up for our customers, we have 330 British Sugar colleagues plus contractors,” Andy explains. “We have 500 deliveries arriving on site today, which is about 14,000 tonnes of sugar beet.”

Such a large site also requires a great deal of electrical and steam power in order to operate each day. Andy explained that the on-site power plant is in fact a net-exporter of energy.

“We take natural gas and convert it into electricity in a combining power plant. This is exported to the National Grid and also produces the steam and electricity requirements of the site.”

The outlook is bright for great sugar content

Commenting on the expectations regarding sugar content for the early sugar beet harvest, Andy said: “The weather certainly helps. Sugar beet likes the sunshine; the crop is adept at turning the sun’s radiation into sucrose. Days like this really help the sugar content.

“Mother Nature will determine the average overall but so far we are predicting the sugar content to be about average for the last five years.”

Wishing growers a safe campaign

It was clear that safety is the primary concern for Andy and his team, reflected in his parting message: “We wish all our growers, our hauliers and our industrial and agricultural partners a safe campaign.”

The post British Sugar: A look behind-the-scenes at the Bury St Edmunds factory appeared first on Farmers Guide.

British Sugar has announced a guaranteed minimum sugar beet price of £37.50 per tonne for 2024/25.

Whilst sugar prices are currently high, so far, few sales contracts have been agreed for October 2024 to September 2025, when spring-planted beet will be sold as sugar.

With the market very volatile, British Sugar has designed a ‘market-linked bonus’, which can be paid when pricing is agreed and there is a reasonable crop.

If sugar markets in 2024/25 are the same as today, the company has said it will give growers a top-up, taking the overall price of the beet crop to above £40 a tonne.

Growers can also ensure a minimum guaranteed income through opting for British Sugar’s yield protection product, and it offers a futures-linked contract for those who want more pricing risk.

British Sugar increased the beet price by 48% to £40/tonne for 2023/24 and offered a yield protection product to help growers manage the risks in their business.

This was introduced to ensure a fair price for beet growers, in light of sharp increases in agricultural costs and competitor crops offering attractive margins relative to beet.

Since the beet price was set last year, British Sugar says total grower input costs have reduced, including fertiliser by 50%. Prices of other crops have fallen, with the wheat price reducing by 30%, and OSR by 35%.

A statement sent to growers today (25^th September) by British Sugar reads: ‘Despite these changes we are keeping our fixed price element as high as we can for 2024/25 because we want beet to remain a financially attractive part of your rotation, encouraging you to invest in beet for the future.

‘For 2024/25 we are aiming to offer you a fair deal that, like this year, builds a good margin for you as well as sharing any sugar market upside we may see. So far, we have not been able to agree a deal with NFU Sugar, but we wanted you to know that our current offer to them guarantees that the minimum price you will receive for beet will be £37.50 a tonne.’

British Sugar is working with NFU Sugar to agree an offer to present jointly to growers.

For further information you can contact your British Sugar account manager or the farm support team on freephone 0800 090 2376.

The post British Sugar announces minimum price for 2024/25 appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Germains Seed Technology has unveiled an innovative sugar beet seed treatment, Xbeet enrich 300.

It has been proven to deliver consistent yield increases of 1.8% – equivalent to 1.35 tonnes per hectare for a 75t/ha grower – compared to Xbeet enrich 200.

“Xbeet enrich 300 seed treatment features an optimised primer that kickstarts germination, combined with a tailored nutrient package designed to nurture seedling development,” explains lead scientist, Jordan Long.

“This unique blend equips crops with the essential resources right from the start, promoting robust and resilient growth.”

Specifically designed to thrive in UK conditions, it has proven to accelerate crop establishment, increase plant populations, and enhance yields when compared to its predecessor, Germains says.

Rigorous trials conducted over three years by accredited ORETO trial teams repeatedly highlighted its advantages, and commercial UK growers have verified its performance and safety through field-scale evaluations.

Jordan adds: “Research into Xbeet enrich 300 started eight years ago. Following on from the laboratory work, small plot trials were carried out over three years. Encompassing different seedlots and diverse locations across the growing area helped demonstrate its efficacy over the wide range of varieties and conditions we experience here in the UK.

“More recent work with growers, proved those results are replicated in commercial situations.”

For further information on Xbeet enrich 300 visit https://germains.com/product/xbeet-enrich300/ 

The post New sugar beet seed treatment unveiled appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The post Sugar Industry Programme: UK sugar industry opens its doors appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The post Transporting sugar beet safely – guidance on the rules appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Opening dates announced

The first of British Sugar’s four factories to open for deliveries is in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Monday 4th September.

Following this, the site at Newark in Nottingham will open on the 11th September, and British Sugar’s largest sugar processing site at Wissington, Norfolk, will open on 21st September.

The final factory to open its doors for deliveries is in Cantley, Norwich, which will accept sugar beet from the 9th October.

British Sugar agriculture director Dan Green had this to say about the opening of the sugar beet harvest, “We look forward to working with growers, harvesters and hauliers over the 2023/24 season, and wish everyone across the British beet sugar industry all the best for a safe and successful campaign.”

Sugar beet growers, hauliers and industry partners have been advised of beet intake times at the factories by email and via the online portal, My British Sugar.

Beet price agreed for 2023/24 sugar beet contract

In June 2023, NFU Sugar and British Sugar announced a beet price of £40 per tonne for the 2023/24 sugar beet contract year, which represents a 48% price increase on last year.

The offer also includes several new options for growers to consider as part of the contract:

• Growers have the choice to purchase a yield guarantee product that protects income against yield losses.
• A ‘futures-linked’ variable price contract for the 2023/24 crop which enables growers to make more dynamic pricing decisions for up to 20% of their contracts.
• Growers within 20 miles of any British Sugar factory will receive a local premium of up to £2, based on distance to the factory.
• Revised multi-year prices – all growers with an existing 2023 commitment will automatically receive an upgrade to £32/t, from £25/t. Growers can upgrade this further to £40/t if they commit to grow sugar beet in 2024.
• The option of a cash advance.

NFU Sugar board chair Michael Sly said: “With growers facing significant cost increases, and the prices of alternative crops having risen to unprecedented levels, I am glad we agreed on a contract offer that should keep sugar beet as a valued part of growers’ rotations. I am hopeful this deal gives the opportunity for re-investment into the sugar beet sector and provides confidence for the future.”

Commenting on the new contract, Paul Kenward, managing director, British Sugar, said: “I am very positive about the future for everyone within this fantastic homegrown industry. With UK customers keen to buy from British Sugar, we are really well-placed to partner with growers for the long-term, and I am certain this contract will encourage further investment going forward. We have four well-invested factories, a great product and an exciting story to share. Our growers are a key part of our business and I hope that this offer provides an incentive for them to continue growing next season and beyond.”

Get in touch

We expect to see much activity for those growing sugar beet during the coming weeks as British Sugar continues to open its doors. If you are currently harvesting sugar beet, or on the way to delivering your beet to a factory we’d love to speak with you. Please email editor@farmersguide.co.uk.

The post British Sugar announces start dates for 2023/24 sugar beet campaign appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) has laid out yellow water traps at its 12 trial sites and is monitoring aphids and beneficial insects at a further 34 locations across the sugar beet growing area.

The organisation’s head of science Dr Mark Stevens says winged aphids are appearing at all trials sites and numbers of wingless aphids which transmit yield-damaging beet poleroviruses are on the rise.

While crops drilled with Cruiser SB (thiamethoxam) should be protected from wingless aphid activity during that time, he warns sugar beat that doesn’t have that protection will be under pressure over the next few weeks as temperatures rise and aphid numbers continue to build.

According to Dr Stevens, aphid pressure is a particular concern this spring because much of the crop is behind where it should be at this time of year. This increases the risk of yield penalty at harvest, which is greatest when the crop is infected early in its development.

To minimise the risk of yield penalties, he recommends treating non-Cruiser crops with a foliar insecticide as soon as the spray threshold of 1 green wingless aphid per 4 plants up to 12 true leaves is met. However, he added it can be difficult to decide which product to use first.

“As BBRO monitoring suggests beneficial insect numbers are generally low, it is potentially better to go with InSyst (acetamiprid) first for rapid knockdown of aphids in small, vulnerable crops,” he says.

Growers can then follow up with Teppeki (flonicamid) if aphid numbers breach the threshold again. This will provide a period of systemic protection against aphids without extensive damage to beneficials, allowing then to assist with pest control for the rest of the growing season.

BBRO has also applied for access to a third insecticide active substance, spirotetramat, and hopes to obtain emergency authorisation in time for use in June.

The post Sugar beet growers urged to keep aphid numbers in check appeared first on Farmers Guide.