British Sugar life after quotas meeting

[Banana Bar]

10ha left to lift and then BS can do what the hell they want. Rollocks to beet

 

[richard hammond]

What are you advising your farmers to grow instead?

I would need to look at many aspects of the farming business, but I would struggle to advise growing SB at a
rubbish price, Have you tried a cheap crop of sprig corn, even a crop of linseed????

 

[Daniel]

I would need to look at many aspects of the farming business, but I would struggle to advise growing SB at a
rubbish price, Have you tried a cheap crop of sprig corn, even a crop of linseed????

Can't safely grow a second wheat here, potatoes and linseed doesn't provide enough options, have had various disasters with peas, have grown spring linseed for the last few years but a succession of dry springs have put us off and gone over to all winter linseed this year.

Next years rotation is WW (milling) Sugar Beet, Potatoes and Winter Linseed, the late drilled winter wheat after beet is intended to be Skyfall if I can ever get the contractor to come and lift the beet.

Edit: we could let land for onions, maize or lettuce locally easily, in no way am I moaning and we are in a fortunate position, but I don't want the big boys knackering our soil and am just curious as to your opinion.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

Why couldn't you do a second wheat Daniel?
Is your land that different from ours?

 

[Daniel]

Why couldn't you do a second wheat Daniel?
Is your land that different from ours?

When we've tried it we got takeall, this was a few years back. Your land is probably a bit stronger?

 

[Sonoftheheir]

When we've tried it we got takeall, this was a few years back. Your land is probably a bit stronger?

Yes I guess so, you can always add the latitude dressing?

 

[robbie]

@Daniel I always thought that fen ground would grow anything, we get away with second wheat so I assumed you'd have no problem.

Just curious but why dont you have ww in-between potatoes and linseed in your rotation?

 

[Daniel]

@Daniel I always thought that fen ground would grow anything, we get away with second wheat so I assumed you'd have no problem.

Just curious but why dont you have ww in-between potatoes and linseed in your rotation?

We do, wheat goes between each break crop, a 6 year rotation.

 

[robbie]

I see, I thought it was strange to have three breaks between wheat although some of the veg boys around here beet,spuds,parsnips/onions.

 

[two-cylinder]

Honestly, can you think of a more inappropriate time to have a growers meeting on Sugar beet?
You couldn't make it up - Friday 13th November.

Possible the worst day in the busiest month for beet growers, it just emphasises how out of touch the NFU have become.

 

[Honest john]

Why are the quotas going anyway?

To provide the peoples of Europe with cheep grub.

 

[Honest john]

Honestly, can you think of a more inappropriate time to have a growers meeting on Sugar beet?
You couldn't make it - Friday 13th November.

Possible the worst day in the busiest month for beet growers, it just emphasises how out of touch the NFU have become.

Well the factory is closed for intake on Christmas Day !!
But really there's no good day.
Europe has decided to leave Food to the Free Markets.

 

[its.... only me]

View attachment 236062

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the average age is of the audience in the photo is ??

 

[Bill Turtle]

Daniel you could try dd second wheat with your Claydon. We have found second wheats more successful when drilled like this.

 

[Daniel]

Daniel you could try dd second wheat with your Claydon. We have found second wheats more successful when drilled like this.

I had heard that, what is the science/reason behind it?

 

[Hindsight]

You did not miss a lot. Date is irrelevant as events will unfold anyway - NFU had to put on a meeting as that is what they do - and so today was as good as any. Anyway to he meeting and my observations - consultant gave a very good overview of world sugar supply which set the scene. As I understood it the general gist is that the closed EU sugar market is now open to world sugar so UK and EU processors and thus growers have to compete - and it will be the lowest price (think milk). We will all decide if the price is good enough - if not then grow something else. Looks as though for time being price in the low 20s is about the mark. Hey ho.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

I was thinking that while sitting there! Average age about 65?

There were a few younger fellas there though.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

You did not miss a lot. Date is irrelevant as events will unfold anyway - NFU had to put on a meeting as that is what they do - and so today was as good as any. Anyway to he meeting and my observations - consultant gave a very good overview of world sugar supply which set the scene. As I understood it the general gist is that the closed EU sugar market is now open to world sugar so UK and EU processors and thus growers have to compete - and it will be the lowest price (think milk). We will all decide if the price is good enough - if not then grow something else. Looks as though for time being price in the low 20s is about the mark. Hey ho.

Guy smith had some good one liners too!

 

[Farmer T]

Guy Smith was on good form- he looked knackered after all the meetings he's been at but he always impresses me. Anyway beet....

The meeting didn't teach us too much. First chap set the market picture up- which we already knew.

The lady from Belgium told us they could produce beet for £18-£20/t but with lower rent, fertiliser prices and high yields you couldn't compare it.

The NFU sugar board lady was likeable but her graphs that showed beet as the high GM crop meant nothing as there was no prices on her graph. If beet was the best GM then I would question what price you got for your wheat. I felt her remit was to try and hide what a balls up the negations the NFU had done- and to be fair she did it.

The important talks were William Martin and the British Sugar chap. Basically both haven't a clue what will happen and want ideas. BS will offer long term contracts but I bet the price will be rock bottom. They will 'offer' existing growers 1st dibs but again I guarantee the price will be below the COP. It made me laugh when the BS guy said they "don't want to break up the growers" when as a business that's exactly what they want to do, and will.

It feels like the last 5 years negotiations have been a chess match between NFU and BS. Now it's getting towards the end and BS have all the pieces. We grow it. Take all the risks. And BS depend on us, yet we can't seem to make it work.

 

[Sonoftheheir]

A good summing up farmer T.

How about they grow more beet closer to the factories and pay more for them and stop subsidising long haulage to the factories from farms far away?

I'm assuming they pay more the further away the farm is?