Teagasc Event to Focus on Reducing Sugar Beet Tare

The average amount of soil, stones and other foreign matter delivered by sugar beet growers to factories is about 10 per cent of gross tonnage, according to Irish Sugar. This costs farmers an average of €1.25 million each year.

This year, faced with the prospect of longer distance travel, following the closure of the Carlow Sugar factory, and increased haulage costs, growers need to reduce this waste content to avoid significant extra costs.

Teagasc Crops Research Centre is holding an information and demonstration day next Wednesday, October 26th, 2005 in Carlow to advise growers on how to minimise their costs in this area. The event is being organised in association with Greencore Sugar and the Irish Farmers’ Association (beet section).

The morning session takes place in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, starting at 10.30 am, and the afternoon session will be held at the Teagasc Crops Research Centre, Oak Park, Carlow at 2.30pm, where working demonstrations of different types of harvesters, storage clamps and cleaner loaders will take place.

Dr Jimmy Burke, Head of Teagasc Crops Research Centre at Oak Park says: “The purpose of this event is to address the issue of reducing soil tare during harvesting, storage, handling, and delivery of sugar beet this year. With the closure of the Carlow facility, beet growers are faced with a series of new challenges in delivering supplies of high quality sugar beet over a longer distance and over a longer time period. Many growers who have not done so previously will now be required to store beet after harvest for longer periods due to later deliveries. With increased costs of haulage in long distance transport producers need to store and haul the minimum amount of soil, stones, and other waste to avoid significant extra costs.

“The €1.25 million per year cost in the delivery of unwanted material is not covered by freight subsidies. With greater distances involved this season, combined with increased fuel charges, this cost could increase considerably unless suitable measures are taken to reduce tare to a minimum,” he adds.

Martin Ryan, Director of Agribusiness with Irish Sugar, says that the average amount of soil, stones, and other foreign matter delivered by growers to the factories has been about 10 per cent of gross tonnage or roughly 140,000 tonnes. “Every effort must be made to reduce this significant cost on both the grower and processor. It is Irish Sugar’s objective to reduce this 10 per cent rolling average by two per cent over the next five years. “

In the morning session, speakers from Irish Sugar will outline the obligations of the processor on soil tare, wash water, waste handling and storage. They will address the economic aspects of tare for both the grower and the processor, including full details of the current bonus payment system for lower tare levels. Teagasc researchers will detail production measures to reduce tare levels. They will advise on timing of harvest for storage, suitable storage and handling facilities, and minimising sugar loss during storage.

The afternoon session will consist of working demonstrations of harvesting, handling and storage. Two harvesting systems (Armer and Thyregod) will be demonstrated by the distributors, showing best practice in a commercial crop. Suitable storage clamps, frost covers and cleaner-loader operations (Cross) will be on display. The event is free and is open to all growers, harvest contractors and hauliers.