In the European Union, the sowing of sugar beet is delayed. Wet conditions and low temperatures are the cause of this. Sowing in the Netherlands is also lagging behind in previous years; at the beginning of April, less than 10% was in the ground.
According to the beet statistics of Suiker Unie, approximately 14% of the total area had been sown at the start of week 8,2, good for more than 7.000 hectares. This means that the sown percentage has doubled compared to the previous week. Beets have been sown mainly in Flevoland, the northern clay area and Gelderland.
Late start
These 3 areas are the only ones that write double digits. In Eastern and Southern Flevoland it is more than 25%, the Groningen clay also contains 25% in the soil and in Gelderland it is 1/3. The last time the sowing season started so late was in 2013, when 8% was in the ground on the same reference date. The sowing work was able to start smoothly afterwards, but after all the rainfall it remains to be seen whether that is also the case.
The average sowing date was April 2013 in 8 and April 2008 in 16. That is the last starting moment since the measurement started. In the southwest of the country, especially the Zeeland islands, northeastern and southeastern sandy areas, virtually no beets have been sown.
Last spring the sowing season in Europe started very smoothly. It laid the foundation for a record harvest in many European countries; that opportunity has now been lost. The cultivated area is expected to remain the same, because the contract prices were known before the sugar market faced serious reductions. There will only be a major correction in 2019 expected.
Delay in France
In France, sowing is traditionally started first. According to growers' association CGB, 7% of the area was in the ground at the end of March, compared to a 5-year average of 50%. Sugar producer Tereos agrees. Their members had hardly even sown beets compared to 2017. This is mainly the result of a very wet winter.
The ideal sowing time is the first days of April. Growers' association CGB believes that the first 1,5 million tons of beets have been lost, compared to the 45 million tons harvested last year. This is what he told the Reuters news agency.
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Germans in the starting blocks
The sowing season is also difficult in Germany. Growers affiliated with the Pfeifer & Langen factories have no more than 1% to 2% sown. Only the lightest sandy soils in East Germany are suitable for sowing. Large-scale sowing is expected to start at the end of this week. At this time last year, 22% were in the ground nationally. Conditions still need to improve considerably, especially in northern Germany.
Polish arable farmers have been inconvenienced by the persistent cold and winter precipitation. The beet growers' organization KZPB estimates that sowing is at least 2 weeks behind schedule. Even now the temperatures are too low to start. The organization expects a slightly larger area for 2018 (231.000 hectares).
Flooding in England
In the United Kingdom, just like in the Netherlands, sowing was done on a piecemeal basis at the end of March. However, large parts of the country have experienced heavy rainfall; locally this even leads to flooding. Sowing beets seems far away. Yet British Sugar is not yet very nervous. The first half of April is an excellent time for sowing seeds for their growers.