Sugar beet price 2024

[Daniel]

This is a ridiculous email, and shows BS are in a bad place. It is definitely not NFU keeping us in the dark - this is not an announcement of a deal, it's BS trying to bypass NFU because they aren't getting their way. No way we should be accepting a lower price than last year when sugar prices have gone up. Needs to start with a 5.

Agree. I think NFU have shown decent resolve here, I hope they’ll implore growers not to sign.


Once growers start signing BS have won.

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Surely not much incentive for any growers to go behind NFU back and sign, plenty of upside to leave it to the NFU, bs are hardly going to turn around and say we don’t need any beet next year

 

[nick...]

It’s the same situation pretty much every year.it will be the same next year.you growers have my sympathy
nick...

 

[Flat 10]

Agree. I think NFU have shown decent resolve here, I hope they’ll implore growers not to sign.


Once growers start signing BS have won.

Where were the balls at £19?

 

[Daniel]

Where were the balls at £19?

Better late than never!

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Where were the balls at £19?

NFU were sharing the pain of the world sugar price , now it’s high bs don’t want to reciprocate, unsurprisingly . What’s the current price of other commodities and reduction of some inputs got to do with the beet price offer? I wonder if their employees have had a pay cut because the electricity price has dropped from last year

 

[alomy75]

Aren't they obliged to negotiate via nfus? Thought that was kind of the point to mitigate their monopoly position.

I’ve asked this question to various people who ought to know; the consensus is that it’s only a voluntary arrangement. So ‘obliged’….possibly not. ‘Committed to’…..possibly yes. It kind of makes sense…if the NFU had the power to stop beet being grown; we would sign our contracts with them and they would then negotiate with BS with all of that bargaining power. But as I’ve said; I’ve yet to see anything written down supporting the above. If it was false and the NFU did have that power; I think they would be communicating that to growers in no uncertain terms…

 

[Heathland]

EU's bid to save bees stings sugar beet farmers

Europe's sugar beet growers are turning away from the crop in a move that could drive soaring prices even higher, as the EU's environmental rules clash with its bid to stem food inflation and secure supplies.

www.reuters.com

Ironically this came up on my news feed,I can only see the price rising on world markets.
Lots hope UK beet growers stick together on this one.

 

[robbie]

I’ve asked this question to various people who ought to know; the consensus is that it’s only a voluntary arrangement. So ‘obliged’….possibly not. ‘Committed to’…..possibly yes. It kind of makes sense…if the NFU had the power to stop beet being grown; we would sign our contracts with them and they would then negotiate with BS with all of that bargaining power. But as I’ve said; I’ve yet to see anything written down supporting the above. If it was false and the NFU did have that power; I think they would be communicating that to growers in no uncertain terms…

Several year back when the NFUs couldn't agree to BS offer we all sent our contracts to NFUs who help them until a mutually agreeable price was offered.
I think it would have been the late 2000s

 

[alomy75]

Several year back when the NFUs couldn't agree to BS offer we all sent our contracts to NFUs who help them until a mutually agreeable price was offered.
I think it would have been the late 2000s

Interesting…was that every grower???

 

[Flatland guy]

All BS are trying to do is get some growers to talk to them to see where they do have to pitch their price. If we can have some solidarity avoid discussing any details with any BS people and give NFU sugar a fighting chance to achieve a deal. TBH I think NFU sugar are fighting for their lives if this outcome is not deemed successful probably be the beginning of the end for NFU sugar!

A couple of points to note from the email thou BS cannot take the risk on sugar market but that is effectively what they did last year a lot of contracts were signed in July/August '22 and they probably did not have much sold , therefore they have probably sold the sugar a lot better than budgeted for!

Also the alarm bells are ringing because they will only pay a bonus upon BS definition of a reasonable crop, if we were to have a year like 2020 we might find we have a low tonnage and no uplift in price as well!

 

[robbie]

Interesting…was that every grower???

I believe every grower was asked to send there contracts to them, whether they all did I don't know. I would expect there was some who fell over themselves to get a tonnage secured.
@carbonfibre farmer can you remember when it was??? I remember that same year there was a local grower's meeting and one local character walked up to the front were the big wigs were sitting and tore his contract up and threw it at them !!!!
@Flat 10 were you growing beet then
@Breckland Boy can you remember the details of why we had to send contracts to NFU???

 

[Banana Bar]

I believe every grower was asked to send there contracts to them, whether they all did I don't know. I would expect there was some who fell over themselves to get a tonnage secured.
@carbonfibre farmer can you remember when it was??? I remember that same year there was a local grower's meeting and one local character walked up to the front were the big wigs were sitting and tore his contract up and threw it at them !!!!
@Flat 10 were you growing beet then
@Breckland Boy can you remember the details of why we had to send contracts to NFU???

I was there when that happened.

 

[Flat 10]

I wasn't growing then but I vaguely remember it I think from where I was working.
Does anyone know how much BS would have had to pay us in a market bonus last year when they bumped contracts up to a guaranteed £27?

 

[Breckland Boy]

Agree. I think NFU have shown decent resolve here, I hope they’ll implore growers not to sign.


Once growers start signing BS have

I believe every grower was asked to send there contracts to them, whether they all did I don't know. I would expect there was some who fell over themselves to get a tonnage secured.
@carbonfibre farmer can you remember when it was??? I remember that same year there was a local grower's meeting and one local character walked up to the front were the big wigs were sitting and tore his contract up and threw it at them !!!!
@Flat 10 were you growing beet then
@Breckland Boy can you remember the details of why we had to send contracts to NFU???

We stopped growing beet in 94 due to rhizo and started again about a dozen years ago. We retained our quota but it was handled by a third party. I do recall it(sending in contacts) but not any detail. So possibly, as you say late 2000s

Negotiations this late are not good, BS know there is a significant tonnage already committed. Many growers will have ordered fert, spread lime or fibrofos and also have machinery that needs to pay its way.
I can only urge growers to stand together. Don't negotiate directly with BS and (I hate to say it) trust nfus.

 

[Flat 10]

I say this as food for thought. I believe that BS biggest grower is on the Nfu sugar board.

 

[nick...]

I believe every grower was asked to send there contracts to them, whether they all did I don't know. I would expect there was some who fell over themselves to get a tonnage secured.
@carbonfibre farmer can you remember when it was??? I remember that same year there was a local grower's meeting and one local character walked up to the front were the big wigs were sitting and tore his contract up and threw it at them !!!!
@Flat 10 were you growing beet then
@Breckland Boy can you remember the details of why we had to send contracts to NFU???

We were growing beet then and remember it well,probably 20 plus years ago and can remember the farmer tearing up his contract.nothing has really changed in all this time has it.same old battle every year
nick...

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Looking at SFI, growing sugar beet with neonic dressing rules out most of the options in the rotation due to the fact that most of the cover / companion crops, herbal leys, etc are not legally allowed to be planted for 32 months after drilling. The no insecticide option obviously can't be used, and for split fields this will cover the whole field. It is likely any future min till or certainly direct drilling SFI options are going to be incompatible with growing beet on much of the rotational area. BPS is now decoupled from land area. so that's irrelevant to the beet price now.
Not using neonic dressing, if available, would allow some of the SFI options, but at a potentially catastrophic cost to the beet crop (again).
Unless BS up the price significantly on this year's £40, it is going to need some serious consideration regarding continuing, especially where the price sugar price is currently, and how much BS are going to be making out of it compared to it's growers.

 

[Flat 10]

I

Looking at SFI, growing sugar beet with neonic dressing rules out most of the options in the rotation due to the fact that most of the cover / companion crops, herbal leys, etc are not legally allowed to be planted for 32 months after drilling. The no insecticide option obviously can't be used, and for split fields this will cover the whole field. It is likely any future min till or certainly direct drilling SFI options are going to be incompatible with growing beet on much of the rotational area. BPS is now decoupled from land area. so that's irrelevant to the beet price now.
Not using neonic dressing, if available, would allow some of the SFI options, but at a potentially catastrophic cost to the beet crop (again).
Unless BS up the price significantly on this year's £40, it is going to need some serious consideration regarding continuing, especially where the price sugar price is currently, and how much BS are going to be making out of it compared to it's growers.

I doubt we will get neonics again

 

[Hindsight]

Looking at SFI, growing sugar beet with neonic dressing rules out most of the options in the rotation due to the fact that most of the cover / companion crops, herbal leys, etc are not legally allowed to be planted for 32 months after drilling. The no insecticide option obviously can't be used, and for split fields this will cover the whole field. It is likely any future min till or certainly direct drilling SFI options are going to be incompatible with growing beet on much of the rotational area. BPS is now decoupled from land area. so that's irrelevant to the beet price now.
Not using neonic dressing, if available, would allow some of the SFI options, but at a potentially catastrophic cost to the beet crop (again).
Unless BS up the price significantly on this year's £40, it is going to need some serious consideration regarding continuing, especially where the price sugar price is currently, and how much BS are going to be making out of it compared to it's growers.

Very good point well made.