Same as last year half and half. Got a reminder from fieldsman yesterday afternoon and sent a stroppy reply saying I had better things to be doing than sat by a computer on a Monday morning, like ploughing for next years crop (I know it’s not his fault). Can’t help but think if Simon Smith puts his seed order in at 10.00am he could nearly clear out some varieties on his own! (Just to be be clear I’m not suggesting any shenanigans at all just saying that he’s such a big grower that his seed order must be massive!)
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Beet yields 2020
- Thread starter phr49
- Start date
alomy75
Member
I know I’ve become a little disillusioned with beet but last year I didn’t get my first choice because it was sold out so I had the barrel scrapings. It still did 80t. My previous year was my first choice and it did 25t. With such variables affecting the crop to such an extent do I really care about 0.4% extra yield of the best varieties? Not really.
- Location
- West Suffolk
We need to get some new belts made up for a Stanhay S981 drill. Anyone have any idea what size holes we need and spacing in the belts pls?
Pellet size is 3.75-4.75mm but we had a lot of doubles last year with 2 pellets in one hole at a time.
Spacing is 15cm apart in the row.
Pellet size is 3.75-4.75mm but we had a lot of doubles last year with 2 pellets in one hole at a time.
Spacing is 15cm apart in the row.
- Location
- south norfolk, uk
Anyone else had the survey call from British sugar 
.
"So what are the things you'd like to see improve, with your grower, factory relationship? "
THE PRICE!!
"Oh, your the first person to say that"
5min chat.
I ended up being 20mins
."So what are the things you'd like to see improve, with your grower, factory relationship? "
THE PRICE!!
"Oh, your the first person to say that"
5min chat.
I ended up being 20mins
alomy75
Member
Well if you don’t ask you don’t get and looking at todays announcement maybe your call was the one that did it!Anyone else had the survey call from British sugar
"So what are the things you'd like to see improve, with your grower, factory relationship? "
THE PRICE!!
"Oh, your the first person to say that"
5min chat.
I ended up being 20mins
- Location
- south norfolk, uk
I'm sure the 9 acres we are putting in this year will be enough to tip them into paying moreWell if you don’t ask you don’t get and looking at todays announcement maybe your call was the one that did it!
What excitements happened today ? Had the day offWell if you don’t ask you don’t get and looking at todays announcement maybe your call was the one that did it!
alomy75
Member
Surplus beet increase to 27 pounds; market-linked 3yr people getting another £3/t (24.18)
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I'm pee'd off as I upped my tonnage to avoid sending anything at less than full price.
I wouldn't have bothered if I'd known sooner. It is sending BS the wrong massage, they will just see it that they've offered such a good price I'm willing to grow them an extra 300 tons
I wouldn't have bothered if I'd known sooner. It is sending BS the wrong massage, they will just see it that they've offered such a good price I'm willing to grow them an extra 300 tons
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Reduced my acreage to avoid a surplus. 
- Location
- Lincs / Notts
Done the same. Putting a small field in with spring barley instead as had plenty of surplus this year.Reduced my acreage to avoid a surplus.
BS need to pay a proper price for beet to reflect our increased risks and costs. Price needs to start with a 3 not a 2.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I would have done that and over the last decade that is exactly what we have done but I didn't have a small field to drop and I didn't fancy having part of a field in with something else.Reduced my acreage to avoid a surplus.
I thought I was being clever and getting one over on bs but as it turned out they would have paid me fill price on everything anyway.
That’s the sort of thing that happens to meI'm pee'd off as I upped my tonnage to avoid sending anything at less than full price.
I wouldn't have bothered if I'd known sooner. It is sending BS the wrong massage, they will just see it that they've offered such a good price I'm willing to grow them an extra 300 tons
The wet winter of 2020 resulted in many of his beet fields looking like the Somme battlefields, he was growing beet on fields where the people who had farmed it for many years gave up beet when oilseed rape came along as a break crop. Its hard to find land West of Cambridge suitable for root cropsAnyone see the bit on beet in countryfile? Wasn't too bad at all., surprisingly balanced. Mr Peck made me smile, no idea why he wanted to grow so much beet on land totally unsuited to it's production. (Or why he was wearing brogues.........)
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Poor lad had three years growing it just up the road from me. At 80 - 100 metres altitude on Denchworth/Ragdale/Evesham Association soil. We watched with much interest. To his absolute credit installed new internal stone tracks and kept damage on delicate local single track roads to an absolute minimum.
All that land near duxford towards Royston be ideal? There’s a big potato grower there? Though I guess it’s almost south of Cambridge
. Certainly Peckys home farm and a few of the ones local to his that he contract farms are absolutely not suitable for beet IMO. The less said about some of the land he chose for potatoes the better 
Poor lad, that's a description I've never heard used to describe him before. Despite all he might say that its all his own work, he was definitely fed with a silver spoon if not golden. His grandad wax a big farmer when there weren't many around.
Had the 5 minute phone call today , to be asking questions relative to beet at the moment says they've got themselves in a pickle. Price , price, price was my words and the interviewer agreed . If you have money you re invest simple. Beet needs to leave £750/ ha to compete after all costs to keep a place in our rotation Or equate £32 /t @ 87t/ha 5yr av was my 2 penth.