Suiker Unie needs more beets in 2020

Suiker Unie needs more sugar beet for the 2020 harvest. It has increased the allocation percentage. In addition, Suiker Unie announces that the 2019 beet campaign will start on 6 September in Dinteloord. On September 10, the processing of the beets will start in Vierverlaten. 

Suiker Unie wants to sell just as much sugar for the 2020/2021 beet campaign as in the current 2019/2020 season. It also processed sugar cane this year, but this is not planned for next year. As a result, more sugar beets are needed for the 2020 harvest.

In order to achieve the target of 7,2 million tonnes, Cosun has decided to set the allocation percentage for 2020 at 105%. Last year this percentage was reduced from 107% to 100%. Surplus beets are settled up to 15% above the allocation. Based on the allocation, Suiker Unie expects an area of ​​85.000 hectares, which is comparable to 2017 and 2018 (more than 86.000 hectares). 

Start campaign
The expected yield is on average 84 tons per hectare. The sugar yield is 14 tons. The total beet harvest is estimated at 6,9 million tons, which is processed in about 19 weeks. The beets look good on the clay soils, while the condition of the crop on the light soils (especially in the eastern part of the Netherlands) is less. 

The yield differences are also the reason that the factories start up unevenly. Yield expectations in the south are relatively high, which makes it logistically favorable to start the factory in Dinteloord earlier. The early start also has to do with the sugar market. Suiker Unie's stocks are low, so the company would like to have new sugar available at short notice.

Longer growing time
During the campaign, Suiker Unie also processes raw cane sugar. This is to ensure, among other things, that sufficient sugar is produced for sales until September next year. Especially at the beginning of the campaign, a lot of cane sugar is processed. As a result, fewer beets are processed during that period. This gives these beets a slightly longer growing time, which according to Suiker Unie can be interesting, especially on lighter soils, now that it has rained again. 

Anne-Jan Doorn

Anne Jan Doorn is an arable expert at Boerenbusiness. He writes about the various arable farming markets and also focuses on the land and energy market.

aj.doorn@boerenbusiness. Nl

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.