Sugar beet yields look promising as the 2014 harvest gets under way – although some growers report that sugar content could be better.

British Sugar factories started processing beet at Newark, Nottinghamshire; and Wissington, Norfolk, on Friday (12 September).

Beet was coming “squeaky clean” off the field at Hawk Mill Farm, Little Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire. The first load went to Wissington with a sugar content of 15.61%.

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“I think we’re looking at quite a good crop this year,” said grower David White. “The yield looks very good although root size has diluted the sugar content.”

British Sugar is expected to start processing at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Monday (15 September) followed by Cantley, Norfolk, next Wednesday (17 September).

Over the next five months, some 3,600 growers are expected to deliver more than 7.5m tonnes of beet to British Sugar’s four factories in eastern England.