I was proud to be elected chairman of the National Farmers' Union sugar board (NFU Sugar) in March, following the retirement of Michael Sly.
Michael has been an outstanding chairman, navigating the turbulent waters of NFU Sugar’s relationship with British Sugar whilst working alongside growers and the board with great skill.
I now look forward to continuing Michael’s hard work alongside my vice-chair Simon Smith, chair of beet reception Alison Lawson, the NFU executive team, the rest of the board and all sugar beet growers.
The 2025 sugar beet crop did not get off to a good start. The driest spring for 50 years brought difficult seedbeds and poor establishment in some areas and challenging weed control for all growers.
High temperatures brought forward the flight of aphids into the crop earlier than predicted and beet moth has once again appeared in our crop. Recent rains were welcome, but we are now experiencing extremely warm weather with more predicted.
As a result, we are now looking at what I would say is an average crop across the growing area, rather than a good one.
One of the great strengths of the sugar beet industry lies in the work of the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO), based on the Norwich Research Park.
The threats to sugar beet production, particularly in the face of climate change, are extremely serious.
It is the BBRO, its partners and commercial companies that will find and trial the solutions to beet moth, rubbery taproot disease (RTD) and syndrome basses richesses (low sugar syndrome) alongside other vitally important research on virus yellows and ongoing work including the recommended list for varieties.
We welcome Stephen Swainston, who joined the organisation as the new managing director this month.
Meanwhile, negotiations with British Sugar for the 2026 crop have begun but are at an early stage.
The early ending of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the sudden withdrawal of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) means there is no government support for arable crops.
Every crop must make a significant contribution to the profitability of the farming business - and sugar beet is no exception.
