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Comparison of costs and yields of ‘type top’ and ‘type average’ growers in Dutch sugarbeet growing

The Dutch sugar industry and sugarbeet research initiated the project SUSY (Speeding Up Sugar Yield) as a reaction to the reform of the European Union sugar regime. The project was aimed at softening the reform’s impact on grower income by improving their knowledge on raising sugar yield and identifying possible cost savings. From each sugarbeet growing region in The Netherlands, 26 pairs of ‘type top’ (high yielding) and ‘type average’ (average yielding) farmers were selected, based on their yield levels in 2000–2004. During three years, all aspects of sugarbeet production were investigated on 75 fields of ‘type top’ and 74 fields of ‘type average’ growers. Based on grower’s crop management record, cost variables were calculated and analyzed in relation to yield and quality variables. The factors year and grower caused most of the significant effects on yield, quality and cost variables. The grower can compensate for the year effect of biotic and abiotic variables on yield. The ‘type top’ growers had significantly higher sugar yields in each year compared to ‘type average’ growers, but the total variable costs did not differ. This makes the ‘type top’ growers more efficient in resource use. Costs for manure and fertilizer, ‘other’ and irrigation significantly increased the total variable costs. With higher fungicide costs, sugar yield significantly increased. There was no significant relation between the intensity of sugarbeet production and sugar yield. Based on this study, it can be concluded that the most profitable strategy for the growers is maximizing sugar yield and optimizing costs. The observed differences in sugar yield were not caused by economical constraints.