With aphids already in flight, it would be remiss of me to start anywhere other than the considerable concern around the scale of Virus Yellows pressure growers are likely to face this year.
The 1 March Rothamsted forecast projected that 59% of the national sugar beet crop would be infected with Virus Yellows in the absence of any controls, with the first flying aphids to be caught at the Broom’s Barn suction trap on 22 April.
This is the highest level of forecast aphid pressure the industry has faced without the benefit of Cruiser SB seed treatment since 2020.
As of 16 April, the BBRO had found Myzus Persicae at five 5 of its fifty national CropWatch sites. Timely and effective use of aphicides will be vital this season, and I would urge growers to keep their eyes peeled for the latest BBRO monitoring, insight and advice.
“One of the shortest [campaigns] since 2018/19, at 175 days, there were some notable positives – such as Newark factory’s vastly improved performance – alongside some of the same old frustrations regarding overall reliability.”
NFU Sugar Board Chair Kit Papworth
2026/27 crop
Grower vigilance will be all the more important given the delays to drilling caused by the exceptionally wet end to the winter.
With drilling almost complete, British Sugar estimates that around 84,000 hectares will have been planted, although we need to wait until the crop declarations are made later this spring before knowing exactly the area drilled.
What is clear already is that this year will see another large drop in beet cultivation.
End of the 2025/26 campaign
Finally, the Grower Appeals meeting held on 15 April formally drew a close to the 2025/26 campaign. One of the shortest since 2018/19, at 175 days, there were some notable positives – such as Newark factory’s vastly improved performance – alongside some of the same old frustrations regarding overall reliability, particularly in relation to beet sampling and testing.
Good autumn weather and a kind start to the campaign underpinned national average sugar content of 17.41%, well above the five-year average of 16.4%. However, very wet conditions in January and February presented considerable harvest challenges for late-lift growers with associated reductions in overall beet quality and yield.
Overall, adjusted yields (tonnes of sugar beet/hectare [basis 16% sucrose]) finished around 9% above the most recent five-year average.
More updates from NFU Council:
