Sugar beet 23

[Goffer]

As the seed cracks and emerges for this year's crop our thoughts are already is this the last crop we grow? We are keen growers and think it's a marvellous crop on many fronts but financially it's a creaking gate . Many like us will want clarity by July 31st where its going . Is there anyone to comment nfu sugar have got there finger out and on the pulse

 

[DrWazzock]

I’ve had enough for several reasons:
1) I’m old and grumpy and lacking patience and energy to deal with stuff like beet.
2) my harvester is worn out and will only do one more season.
3) my drill see number 2
4) neonic seed dressing lottery,
5) wind blow PITA
6) loss of desmedipham
7) winter harvesting and pissing about loading it from October to March
8) herbicides that are as old as I am and about as effective and need special crappy blocking low volume nozzles.
9) price that’s still not as as good as it was in 1980 something.
Other than that it’s a fantastic crop to grow so crack on you young’ns.

 

[DrWazzock]

One plus point. It’s looks nice.

 

[Goffer]

I’ve had enough for several reasons:
1) I’m old and grumpy and lacking patience and energy to deal with stuff like beet.
2) my harvester is worn out and will only do one more season.
3) my drill see number 2
4) neonic seed dressing lottery,
5) wind blow PITA
6) loss of desmedipham
7) winter harvesting and pissing about loading it from October to March
8) herbicides that are as old as I am and about as effective and need special crappy blocking low volume nozzles.
9) price that’s still not as as good as it was in 1980 something.
Other than that it’s a fantastic crop to grow so crack on you young’ns.

We young'ns as you put it are beginning to tire too only been involved in the job since 1990

 

[DrWazzock]

I remember the weekend after Chernobyl exploded we were out with hoes on a clay hill top pushing seed left on top by the beet drill into the soil and covering it up. We should have had a perseverance medal really. Dad did get invited to top grower clay shoot one year but he didnt tell them about the child labour hand pulling fat hen during the school holidays.
Beet is like a wife. In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death us do part.

 

[DrWazzock]

Wheat and cereals will fall back eventually. Beet plods on.

 

[farmerfred86]

As the seed cracks and emerges for this year's crop our thoughts are already is this the last crop we grow? We are keen growers and think it's a marvellous crop on many fronts but financially it's a creaking gate . Many like us will want clarity by July 31st where its going . Is there anyone to comment nfu sugar have got there finger out and on the pulse

I think the industry might be in real trouble... A very large price rise (likely to happen) probably won't be enough to keep many growers who have seen the worst in the last few years. Looking out onto dry fields and beet suffering won't help again this spring.

 

[teslacoils]

Ah the "family fun" of walking behind the drill with a pokey stick to prod in any that didnt get covered up. Yeah, dont miss those days much. Ditto pulling bolters.

 

[Goffer]

Clarity is all we ask not decisions and re thinks mid season

 

[DrWazzock]

But who knows where cereals and OSR will end up. That’s always the attraction of beet. Steady as she goes. Joking aside it’s not been a bad payer but I’d agree, wheat over £300 per tonne is putting it in the shade.

 

[Flatland guy]

Personally I think you should be planning for NO Sugar beet in 2023!
NFU Sugar still seem to be patting themselves on their own back for £27 /ton last year. It has all gone quiet!
I am growing the last crop, two issues this year have incensed me, the choice of beet varieities if you have not completed your seed offer within 30 seconds of opening and BS offer to all three year growers to up the price to £27. I am only an annual grower and firmly believe the annual offer is best for all parties for the costings for the crop for the next year in a rapidly changing world of crop protection actives/and rapidly changing prices even before events in Ukraine kicked off.

I seemed to remember somewhere in an email/letter from BS/NFU that they were mentioning the gas price in the refinement process to start a future campaign against a higher price for the beet price.
I have an opinion that next years price should be starting with a 4, compared to all the alternatives that you can sign up today. If BS start saying it would be unprofitable/ unsustainable you should walk it is like being in an abusive marriage where one side always get everything, and eventually everyone realises they should have walked earlier.
Around my way , there have been growers who came back into the crop since the sale of quota early 2000's? grown again for two or three years and have now subsequently packed up again. They have realised again the associated costs with sugar beet of mud/ soil structure/following crop issues and now with the potential of ELMS soil movement (zero till, carbon credits) that the alternatives stack up much more favourably.

 

[teslacoils]

Maybe if a group of you got together and all said no at the same time, you might be able to negotiate a better price.....

 

[Flatland guy]

The best action is a refusal to even enter to speak to BS!!! and plan for no beet.
Beet has plodded on for a few too many years, NOW is the time to make hay as the sun shines quote. I think BS will only wake up when there is no one taking up their offer.
BS keep using we will not be viable etc but unlike ensus /vivergo who will mothball their plants if they become unviable BS have not done such action yet so there must be a lot more before they reach that point.

 

[robbie]

Just the other day a local had his BS man out to look at some bird damaged beet. Within minutes the fieldman asked have you sorted your rotation for next year and how many beet are you planning to grow.

The answer was non but Mr bs was very persistent in asking what it would take to make him grow beet again. Mr BS was sounding him out on all sorts of ideas, beet price of mid 30s, an up front payment in August where among them but when he said BS liked the idea of advanced payments to growers as they were "cash rich" it was like read rag to a bull.

The final comment was that they should not worry about advanced payments just pay a proper price on for beet in the normal time frame.

 

[Banana Bar]

We dropped beet two years ago. I haven’t missed them once. The farm is still recovering from the last 2 horrifically wet years we did grow. If next years price started with a 4 it would make me think about beet again.