With the counter at over 10.000 hectares, beets are now sown in all regions. On the light soils this works without any problems, but on the heavy clay soils with fits and starts. Meanwhile, sugar prices have started to fall sharply.
The sowing season for sugar beets started in mid-March wet start, but Mother Nature has quickly changed that in recent weeks. Thanks to sunny and dry weather, sowing can now take place in various regions. This applies particularly to lighter soils and where ploughing has been carried out. The lower light soil is also becoming more workable day by day.
Differences by region
At the end of week 13, an average of 12,7% of the beet area in the Netherlands had been sown, Suiker Unie reports. In North and South Holland, Zeeland and Limburg, sowing is clearly the fastest with percentages of up to 20%. In West Brabant (6,8%) and Gelderland and the northern part of the Netherlands (around 9%), sowing is less successful.
Sowing beets is currently an option, especially on heavier soils challenge. The soil is being cultivated on several plots, but growers wait until rain has fallen. The soil is exceptionally hard and cloddy and dries quickly, partly due to the strong wind from the north. 'Even after three tillings, the seedbed is barely suitable,' writes Suiker Unie. 'The rolls for many sown plots have been removed from the corner of the shed.'
Price increase stops abruptly
In the meantime, reports from the international sugar market provide little relief for the grower. Although prices have increased in recent months advance were busy, this movement recently came to an abrupt halt. The corona crisis has even caused a sharp price drop. On March 23, the sugar price was back at the October 2019 level, the European Commission's sugar committee reports.
And while the International Sugar Organization (ISO) expects the 2019/2020 season to end with the biggest sugar shortage in more than a decade. A production of 167 million tons and a consumption of 176 million tons are assumed. This will result in a shortage of more than 9 million tons, causing the world supply to shrink to 85 million tons.
European prices
Until the collapse of the sugar market due to the global corona crisis, the sugar shortage was reflected in average prices in the European Union. Prices rose, especially in countries with a shortage (Southern Europe). For example, €445 per tonne was paid here in January, compared to €347 in the largest production countries (Belgium, Germany, France, United Kingdom and the Netherlands). Sports prices were at a significantly higher level until mid-February, but have now fallen sharply to below reported prices.