The beet campaign on Lolland and Falster has concluded, and the result is an impressive record. A total of 14.8 tonnes of sugar beets have been delivered to the factories in Nakskov and Nykøbing. This surpasses the previous record of 14.2 tonnes from 2014 and is significantly above the average for recent years, which has been around 13 tonnes.
The chairman of Danish Sugar Beet Growers, Troels Frandsen, is therefore also a happy man.
- It has been a good season for us. We started early with sowing, and with good growing conditions and skilled farmers, it has given us an impressive record, he says.
Early sowing gave a head start
The beet campaign returns every autumn as one of the sure signs of the peak season on the South Sea Islands. When the harvesting begins, beets are transported in a steady stream to the sugar factories in Nakskov and Nykøbing, which work around the clock well into the winter.
- We know that we take up a lot of space on the roads when the big lorries come. And this year, we have taken up a bit more, says Troels Frandsen.
This year, early sowing in March gave the beets a head start, which, together with stable growing conditions, has impacted the yield. It is precisely this type of season where the potential of the Lolland and Falster soils is realised.
It is no coincidence that Lolland-Falster is the stronghold of beet growers. The heavy, fertile soils and the mild coastal climate provide good growing conditions and a long season, and when the factories are also close to the fields, both transport and cooperation become much easier. Therefore, cultivation has gathered here over many years, where experience and infrastructure go hand in hand.
Huge turnover
The many loads of sugar beets bring in a good income for the farmers. Sugar beets are grown on around 30,000 hectares on Lolland-Falster. One hectare generates a turnover of 23,000 to 24,000 DKK, which means that beet cultivation as a whole represents a turnover of approximately 700 million DKK.
About half of the value ends up with the farmers, while the rest goes to production costs, including operations, machinery, and transport. Thus, the beet campaign plays a central role in the local agricultural economy and in the activity around the two sugar factories.
