NFU Sugar Board chairman Michael Sly has delivered an upbeat outlook of the prospects for the 2023 sugar beet crop after last year’s disastrous campaign.

Updating members at an NFU Council meeting in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, on Tuesday 25 April, Mr Sly said 97,000ha of beet was either due to be planted or already drilled at £40/t, the price agreed with processor British Sugar.

See also: Video: Sugar beet growers set for April rush to get crop drilled

Despite the wet spring, the NFU estimates that about 75% of beet is already in the ground, and as much as 90% could be drilled before the weekend.

Virus yellows

About 60% of beet has been treated with Cruiser SB (neonicotinoid) to protect crops against aphid-spread virus yellows under an emergency authorisation from Defra.

The Rothamsted virus yellows model predicts that aphids are due to fly this week, so any untreated crops could be protected with foliar sprays to stave off attacks.

Due to a shortage of sugar, owing to last year’s “treacherous” sugar beet growing campaign, which was thwarted by extreme weather events, Mr Sly said the NFU has worked with British Sugar to develop an additional early contract for delivery of beet into Bury in early September.

To incentivise growers, a contract for £3,000/ha was agreed and British Sugar contracted an extra 1,500ha on this basis.

Variable-price contract

Mr Sly said beet growers who took up the option of a “futures-linked” variable-price contract for the 2023-24 crop for up to 20% of their contract will be sitting pretty.

“At one point yesterday, the futures-linked beet pricing got to over £58 for a tonne of sugar beet,” he told delegates. “That shows you that the market is on fire globally for sugar.”

Policy decisions at EU level, including banning seed treatments, were also driving down sugar production across the continent, he added.

Negotiations between the NFU and British Sugar about the 2024 beet crop, including pricing, are due to start soon.