Interview Vincent Coolbergen
'Stopping beets best long-term option'
The Koninklijke Maatschap de Wilhelminapolder was for many years the largest sugar beet grower in the Netherlands. But in 2023, for the first time, no beet will grow on the largest private arable farm in our country. "The crop no longer fits into the long-term vision," says director Vincent Coolbergen.
What is your main motivation for stopping sugar beet cultivation?
"This is twofold: On the one hand, the financial return. The costs have risen considerably in recent years, especially for seed and crop protection. At the same time, the effectiveness of the ever-narrowing product package is decreasing. That makes it a more difficult cultivation, which has an impact on the financial yield. Yields per hectare have increased, but for that you have to incur more costs and you run greater risks. The late harvest in particular is an attack on our clay soils. That is not in line with the sustainability ambition that we have set as a company, short and long term."
The prospects for a good payout price have improved considerably in recent months. The price of LLBs has also increased. Isn't that – looking back now – a bit sour?
"We have been looking critically at cultivation for much longer, at least five years. We have discussed this extensively with Cosun. At the top, our acreage was 270 hectares of sugar beet. This year that was still 140 hectares. That halving says enough. We tests that Cosun is aiming for an increasingly longer beet campaign. With our acreage, this means that part of it always has to be harvested late. We do everything we can to treat the soil as best as possible. In order to finally compact it strongly - with all consequences – just doesn't feel right."
To what extent has the high grain price been a motivator to stop now?
"That was certainly not decisive. As said, we have been talking about it for years. Wheat and sugar are both commodities and are linked to each other to a greater or lesser extent. A greater advantage may lie with the new CAP."
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), explain?
"We can achieve gold status relatively easily on our farm. Because we have an extensive cultivation plan, but also because we no longer have to deal with the late harvest of sugar beets. The CAP aims to harvest early. says enough, I think. I hear from fellow arable farmers that they are struggling with achieving gold status for the maximum hectare premium."
Which crops replace sugar beet in the rotation?
"Grain, legumes (brown beans and field beans) and alfalfa are all expanding a little bit. It is surprising how quickly the area was filled in. An additional advantage is that we can more easily move into the cropping plan with a multi-year crop such as alfalfa."
Why not introduce a new crop such as rapeseed or fiber flax?
"We did consider that. The plans to grow rapeseed had taken serious shape. When we got into talks with English growers, it turned out that snail infestation in potatoes is a major problem due to the combination of rapeseed, grain and potatoes. In the end, we have therefore decided against it. Flax cultivation remains a possible alternative for the future. The crop is known in the south-west and there are enough buyers. Grass seed is not interesting to us. The hectare yield fluctuates too much and the harvest time coincides with that of grain ."
Is it easier for the KMWP to make this choice because the ownership of 400 bars gives a different financial starting point?
"That does indeed play a role. We have a strategic plan with ambitions and goals for the short and long term. Those ambitions are broadly defined. A practical choice to stop sugar beet is made by ourselves, but it fits our ambition of ' good stewardship."
Is a financial result per hectare therefore of secondary importance?
"You have to look at it company-wide. For example, winter wheat after sugar beet on our company structurally yields a ton less per hectare. You also have to include this loss in the total cost price calculation. Due to the extensification of the cropping plan, we see the yields of all crops increase, also with the potatoes. We expect this upward trend to continue."
Would you have made the same choice if it were a traditional company?
"Certainly! I also see fellow arable farmers struggling with beet cultivation. They face the same challenges. Look at your entire business to see what fits best. I understand that someone who does not grow potatoes opts for sugar beet, but both harvesting fruits in one cropping plan is too intensive on our land. It surprised me how quickly all LLBs found a buyer. Many companies have all bought a little bit to grow."
Finally: does the future of the KMWP lie in further growth and an extensive construction plan?
"Growth is not an end in itself. When opportunities arise, we consider this on a case-by-case basis. In addition, we are increasingly collaborating with neighbors and integrating part of their business into our business operations. The core of the construction plan remains the consumption potato, with a acreage of 370 hectares. Stopping beet cultivation gives significant room during the labor peak during the autumn months. That is an additional advantage. The first-year and second-year onion sets remain a permanent feature."
Niels van der Boom
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