British Sugar has announced a temporarily pause in contracting and seed ordering for the 2024/25 beet contract. This is in order to help facilitate negotiations with NFU Sugar and endeavour to agree prices and terms for next year’s contract.
Negotiations will recommence this week, aiming to agree a contract for next year as soon as possible. This is to help facilitate negotiations with NFU Sugar in a bid to agree prices and terms for next year’s contract.
British Sugar contacted its 2,300 sugar beet growers on 1st November with details of its contract offer for 2024/25, prompting a fierce response from NFU Sugar and growers alike, many of whom refused to sign new contracts.
Defra urged British Sugar to get back to the negotiating table and said in a statement at the time: “There is a well-established process in place to agree the sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties, with Government only acting as final arbitrator at the end of the process should no agreement be reached.
“It is very important that all parties involved now continue to follow that process and reach a mutually acceptable outcome.”
