Sugar beet 2025 harvest: ‘It’s a mixed bag’

In the latest episode of the BBRO podcast, BeetCast, Ms Broom said it is good to see that the autumn weather has been favourable, with many growers looking at an early finish to harvest. However, she also called this year’s harvest a “mixed bag”. 

“We’ve had reports of record yields, alongside some really low yields, with some harvest operators having a really tough time recovering the yield,” the BBRO’s knowledge exchange manager added. 

Mr Winters noted that he has seen “a bit of a mismatch of yield”.  “Some crops have been really thirsty, probably since the spring. They got drilled into sort of desert-like conditions and never really got going.  

“They got ruined by mice and pigeon damage and really late germination before they did get some moisture. Those crops just haven’t done so great.” 

Mr Winters said that he has seen some yields as low as 25 or 30 tonnes a hectare. However, other fields have produced about 120 tonnes per hectare of sugar beet. 

“I’ve really got to see sort of both sides of the blackboard this year. There’s no sort of real common denominator of yield, but some haven’t done so well as others,” the British Sugar expert added. 

‘Generally good yields’

Mr Winters said that he also noticed a lot of “bumpy beet”. “There have been really high crowns next to really low crowns. But as good as the harvesters are, they can’t work that well.  

“It’s just such a challenge to top those really low crowns that have gone down beneath a surface when you’ve probably got two or three bits of beet in front of it that are sticking two or three inches out of the ground.  

“Obviously from the harvesting point of view, we want to save all the yield. We go and look after that beet that is sticking out of the ground. We maintain that standard of harvesting as much beet as we can and getting it up into the clamp,” he continued. 

Ms Broom summarised the 2025 harvest yields as “generally good”. While Mr Winters added that “sugar contents across the factories are really good,” aiming at around 17% and 18%. 

“It’s looking like we’re going to have a pretty good year, considering we had people trying to drill into just such dry seeds.” 

Recently, two British Sugar factories have been shortlisted in the Environmental and Sustainability category at the EDP Norfolk Business Awards 2025. 

READ MORE: British Sugar factories recognised for their sustainability and environmental efforts

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