3.500 hectares sown
No frost damage in early sown beets
The sugar beets sown very early have experienced little or no hindrance from the night frost. Despite the low temperatures, they still germinated. Sugar beets were sown in particular in Flevoland and Groningen; in total about 3.500 hectares, as reported by Suiker Unie.
the counter on Monday, March 26, Suiker Unie was on 3.500 hectares. Of this, 1.500 hectares are from the Groningen clay region of Oldambt and 1.000 hectares from Flevoland. The rest of the Netherlands accounts for the remaining 1.000 hectares. Due to the forecast for bad weather, sowing work has come to a standstill for the time being.
Beautiful topsoil
After a considerable period of frost, the first sugar beets into the ground at arable farmers on 5 March. The ground is exceptionally beautiful after last winter. The topsoil is very nice. At the bottom, however, it dries badly, which made many arable farmers hesitant to start.
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Arable farmers on the heavy soil in the Oldambt usually prepare their soil in the autumn, so that they could start quickly. That is why relatively much has been sown here. Suiker Unie expects that it will take a long time before the subsurface is also suitable. This is also the case on light soils, so that hardly anything has been done here.
slow start
In percentage terms, the northern clay region is now ahead (16% sown). Eastern and Southern Flevoland follows with 15%. Gelderland is also in third place with 15%. At the end of week 3, 12% of the national acreage was in the ground. That's the same as last year. Then in week 4 a huge blow could be struck, but given the weather forecast, that is not possible this year.
The last time we had to deal with a late spring for the beets was in 2013. At this time, hardly anything was in the ground. Sowing only started in week 14.
Niels van der Boom
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