Agriculture - Rain hampers sugar beet harvest: yield low
The rainy weather of the past few weeks has made the sugar beet harvest in the southwest much more difficult in some cases. The harvest has not yet been completed, as the state farmers' association announced on request. Remaining stocks are still in the fields. The rainfall had ensured that the heavy harvesting machines could not reach the fields. In normal years, the harvest in the country is brought in by around November 20th.
This has an impact on the yield: According to the State Statistical Office, it is expected to be 66 tons per hectare this year. This is 5.2 percent less than last year, as the statisticians announced on Friday based on preliminary data. Compared to the six-year average, the drop is 12.8 percent.
Bacterial diseases such as stolbur and SBR are also causing major problems for beet producers in some regions. According to the farmers' association, the district of Schwäbisch Hall, for example, is affected. Statisticians also cite diseases such as Stolbur as a reason for the yield losses. It causes shrivelled and small beet bodies with a rubbery consistency and low sugar content.
According to the farmers' association, yields are very varied this year. "From 30 tons per hectare to over 100 tons per hectare, everything is included," it said. The fluctuations in yield have to do with the drought in summer and the regional distribution of rainfall, among other things. Compared to previous years, farmers are also expecting a lower sugar content. Depending on the region, it varies between 12 and 18 percent. On average, it is around 16 percent this year - and therefore below the long-term average of 18 percent.
Sugar beet is the raw material for industrial sugar production. The beet from Baden-Württemberg is processed in Südzucker's Offenau sugar factory, for example. However, the beet is also used as an energy source and as feed for livestock. According to provisional data from the State Statistical Office, a good 18,700 hectares of sugar beet were cultivated in Baden-Württemberg this year. In total, there are more than 800,000 hectares of arable land in the state.
According to the farmers' association, the rainfall also made sowing winter cereals more difficult. This was a major challenge for farmers. Sowing - of winter wheat or winter barley, for example - has been significantly delayed in some cases. The State Statistical Office will publish figures on fall sowing areas and sugar beet yields in the southwest on Friday (10:00 a.m.).
State Statistical Office announcement on acreage
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- Despite the challenges posed by the rain, farmers in Baden-Württemberg's agrarian sector are still hoping for a rain break to complete the sugar beet harvest.
- In some regions of Baden-Württemberg, including Schwäbisch Hall, the Harvest of sugar beet has been affected not only by rain but also by bacterial diseases like stolbur.
- The rainy weather has also impacted the sowing of winter cereals in Baden-Württemberg, making it a significant challenge for farmers in the Southwest.
- After the harvest, the sugar beet is processed in factories like Südzucker's Offenau sugar factory, contributing to the Agriculture sector in the region, even as lower yields and sugar content are expected due to the weather conditions.
Source: www.stern.de
