Harnser Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 (edited) My farmer friend will be starting to lift sugar beet within the next couple of weeks . Sugar beet stubble is a fabulous crop to shoot pigeons over ,particulary later in the year when they have finished on the cereal stubbles . It never fails to amaze me as to how much beet chippings they can get in thier crops or how large a chunk they can get down thier necks . They will gorge on beet stubble and really good sport can be had by the dedicated pigeon shooter . Watch your sugar beet stubbles . Harnser . Edited September 14, 2009 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 (edited) Top crop to shoot over. They can pick up chips the size of a golf ball. Once the frost gets in to it and softens it they seem to like it even more. They gorge the tops as well. I've got a small 30 acre field in North Norfolk that i'm keeping an eye on. Edited September 14, 2009 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderbuss Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 'Scuse my agricultural ignorance , but is there much sugar beet grown outside of Norfolk and surrounding counties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted September 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 'Scuse my agricultural ignorance , but is there much sugar beet grown outside of Norfolk and surrounding counties? I would have thought that sugar beet is grown in most counties . Proberbly most of it is grown in Norfolk ,Suffolk ,Essex , Cambs , lincolnshire . I dont really know how far north it is grown or how far south it is grown . Harnser . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 Have a small filed that I'm keeping an eye on here in Devon - looking forward to a go on it later in the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoughton Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 Used to be a lot in my part of Essex - but now seems to only ever be wheat, OSR, Peas, Lucen or Linseed. Haven't seen any beet grown for a few years. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 'Scuse my agricultural ignorance , but is there much sugar beet grown outside of Norfolk and surrounding counties? Used to be a lot in my part of Essex - but now seems to only ever be wheat, OSR, Peas, Lucen or Linseed. Haven't seen any beet grown for a few years. Steve It's grown all over the UK, although the focus is on East Anglia, where British Sugar's processing plants at Wissington, Bury St Edmunds and Cantley are in range. The fourth plant is at Newark-on-Trent, handling beet from everywhere north of Watford Steve, there is still a healthy acreage of beet grown in Essex, although the haulage to Bury makes it a fairly pointless venture with the contract price as low as it is. Beet can only be grown on a contract for British Sugar, and you need a quota. This quota specifies the tonnage of beet that the quota holder can grow, and it is absolutely rigid. Once you lose or surrender your quota, you're denied the ability to grow beet. That is why British Sugar is exploiting British beet growers - because they know that we have no option other than to lock into a new contract. It is an unfair, uneconomic and absolutely prehistoric way of doing business. I personally am all for investing in a private processing plant to meet the growing demand for bioethanol, which the French and Germans produce from beet. Why sell beet to British Sugar for £27/tonne when biofuel beet sells on the Continent for several times that price?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikee Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 Top crop to shoot over. They can pick up chips the size of a golf ball. Once the frost gets in to it and softens it they seem to like it even more. They gorge the tops as well. I've got a small 30 acre field in North Norfolk that i'm keeping an eye on. be better still if the pinks find it too mikee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoughton Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 Thanks Baldrick - interesting and I agree, an unfair state of affairs. Steve It's grown all over the UK, although the focus is on East Anglia, where British Sugar's processing plants at Wissington, Bury St Edmunds and Cantley are in range. The fourth plant is at Newark-on-Trent, handling beet from everywhere north of Watford Steve, there is still a healthy acreage of beet grown in Essex, although the haulage to Bury makes it a fairly pointless venture with the contract price as low as it is. Beet can only be grown on a contract for British Sugar, and you need a quota. This quota specifies the tonnage of beet that the quota holder can grow, and it is absolutely rigid. Once you lose or surrender your quota, you're denied the ability to grow beet. That is why British Sugar is exploiting British beet growers - because they know that we have no option other than to lock into a new contract. It is an unfair, uneconomic and absolutely prehistoric way of doing business. I personally am all for investing in a private processing plant to meet the growing demand for bioethanol, which the French and Germans produce from beet. Why sell beet to British Sugar for £27/tonne when biofuel beet sells on the Continent for several times that price?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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