Sugar growers debate 2010 contract price

THE journey towards securing a profitable sugar beet price in 2010 began for many growers this week.

Around 150 sugar growers attended a meeting at the East of England Showground in Peterborough on Tuesday, one of a series of such meetings taking place in the east of England this and next week.

The meetings, hosted by the NFU, were billed as a chance for growers to be updated on important events and to ‘have their say’ on contract negotiations.

NFU sugar chairman William Martin told growers the backdrop to 2010 negotiations had changed considerably from last year’s controversial circumstances, when growers sent their contracts into the NFU pending a satisfactory agreement.



Formal negotiations are not due to begin until the spring but the NFU has made initial contact with British Sugar.

“British Sugar has acknowledged the NFU’s call for greater confidence in the long term viability of the crop. And to achieve this we need to collaborate more closely and ensure we each benefit from a profitable industry,” said Mr Martin.

“It is in British Sugar’s interests to engage with the NFU in this way, in order to avoid the events of last summer being repeated”, he said.

British Sugar said it too was committed to securing a profitable agreement for growers.

“We are working together with the NFUand we are focused on ensuring sugar beet remains competitive against other crops longer term,” said a spokesman.

Last year British Sugar agreed to pay growers a fixed contract price of £26 per adjusted tonne, plus an increase in the transport allowance that averaged £1 per adjusted tonne.

One grower at the Peterborough meeting said the NFU should not settle for anything below £30 this year.

Sugar grower Oliver Walston agreed £30 was desirable but said it was ‘frankly unrealistic’.

He added: “The 2009 contract was my minimum price. I will not continue with sugar beet if the price falls this year.”