Beet price to 78 euros, net result slightly better

As expected, Cosun Beet Company will pay out a significantly better beet price for the 2023 harvest year. This amounts to €78 per tonne for the standard quality of 17% sugar and 91% extractability. That is 13% more than was paid out in 2022 and therefore a new record. If we look at the net result with average quality, the payout price is slightly better.

Cosun had previously increased the basic price from €32,50 to €35 per tonne of beets. A positive sugar market has partly ensured that the beet processor can pay a good price. Beet growers should not be blinded by this amount. The net result for growers is on average much lower.

Difficult cultivation and campaign
The price of average quality sugar beet for 2023 will be €67,09 per tonne, compared to €65,18 in 2022. That is 2,93% more, but not a record. In 2012 the price was €68,80. A higher member bonus has a positive impact on the payment price, the cooperative informs its growers. The lower sugar contents and extractability are thus somewhat compensated. Both the cultivation and the harvesting and processing campaign were difficult to say the least. The beets were sown late, suffered from a dry growing period and a very wet harvest. At the end of the campaign, two periods of frost threw a spanner in the works.

For surplus beet, Cosun pays €35 per tonne for average quality. That is €5 more than last season. For average quality, the price amounts to €30,11 (compared to €28,44 in 2022). The price for surplus beets is €12,90 for average quality. Growers save an average of €5.891 per hectare from cultivation, the company calculates. That is slightly better than in 2022 when the balance was €5.483.

Considerably less sugar
The national average sugar percentage for the entire campaign is 15,6%. That is considerably lower than a season earlier, when 16,5% was achieved. In the north, sugar levels were slightly higher than in the south, but in all regions this was lower than usual. The winnability of 89,9 points was also below last year's result, which was 90,4 points.

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.

n.vanderboom@boerenbusiness. Nl

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