SOME ASPECTS OF CURRENT SUGAR BEET PRODUCTION IN POLAND

SOME ASPECTS OF CURRENT SUGAR BEET PRODUCTION IN POLAND

Některé aspekty současné produkce cukrovky vPolsku

Z. Wyszyński, M. Kalinowska-Zdun, D. Gozdowski

Warsaw Agricultural University, Department of Agronomy

Summary: The article deals with economic importance and changes in sugar beet production in Poland within last years. The level of production technology was evaluated and expected changes in sugar sector after an accession to EU is presented.

Key words: sugar beet, sugar production, sugar sector and technology

Souhrn: Článek se zabývá ekonomickým významem a změnamiprodukce cukrovky vPolsku během posledních let. Byla zhodnocena produkční technologie a prezentovány očekávané změny vcukerním sektoru po vstupu do EU. Základní předností pěstování cukrovky vPolsku je celková úhrada domácí potřeby cukru, jež činila vkampani 2002/2003 1,77 mil. t. Vobdobí od konce 2. světové války až do r. 2003 bylo Polsko exportérem bílého cukru a melasy (tab.1). Export přináší významné množství zahraniční měny. Plocha cukrovky má za posledních 10 let klesající trend (fig.1), průměrný výnos vr. 2002 byl 44 t.ha-1. VEU je vyjednána produkce cukru vEU v kvótě A 1,58 mil t a vkvótě B 1,092 mil. t. Fig.2 ukazuje pokles počtu pěstitelů a nárůst výměry cukrovky na jednoho pěstitele. Velikostní strukturu pěstitelů cukrovky vPolsku ukazuje fig.3. (pokles malých a nárůst větších). Článek dále pojednává o úrovni pěstitelské technologie. Vroce 2002 byla celá výměra oseta jednoklíčkovým osivem s fungicidy a insekticidy, polní vzcházivost byla přes 80 %, hustotu porostů uvádí tab.2. Dále je uveden rozsah chemické ochrany proti plevelům, chorobám a škůdcům a průměrné dávky použitých hnojiv. Vroce 2002 bylo 84 % výměry cukrovky sklizeno jedno nebo dvoufázovou mechanizací. Vtab.3 jsou uvedeny faktory, jimiž byl klasifikován stupeň agrotechnické pečlivosti. Předpokládané údaje v cukerním sektoru po vstupu do EU ve srovnání se stavem r. 2002/2003 uvádí tab.4. Závěr článku pojednává o předpokládaných změnách vprodukci suroviny a v cukrovarnickém průmyslu.

Klíčová slova: cukrovka, produkce cukru, sektor cukru a technologie

Economic importance

The basic advantage of cultivating sugar beet in Poland is total meet of domestic demand for sugar, amounting in 2002/2003 season to 1,77 million t. During the period from after II World War till 2003 year Poland has been a netto exporter of white sugar and molasse (tab. 1). Export of sugar brings about to state economy significant amount of foreign currencies.

Table1: Export of sugar and molasse from Poland ( thous. tons)

Note: 1945-1980 sugar export value total 2 mld USD

Changes in sugar beet production in Poland during last 10 years

Area of sugar beet shows a decreasing tendency (fig.1). It was 303 thous. ha in 2002 years, while average yield per 1 ha was 44 tons. Recently observed systematic increase in root yield may cause further drop of cultivation acreage, whereas just negotiated sustainable production sums of sugar in EC are 1,58 million tons for sum A and 0,092 million tons for sum B. Bioethanol production of sugar beet origin may promote to maintain or to increase cultivation area. Diminishing total area of beetroots causes an increase in mean size of plantation as well as a drop in number of growers (fig.2).

In 2002 mean area of plantation was 3,31 ha, while the number of growers was about 91 thous. persons. This process seems to be treated as inreversible as nowadays it is stimulated by decreasing number of sugar plants and concentration of them and sugar production in the best regions.

The structure of beetroot plantation acreage in Poland in 1992 and 2002 years is presented on fig.3. There was a substantial decrease in number of small, below 2 ha plantations in 2002. Currently they are only 27% vs. 75% in 1992. The number of big plantations, above 10 ha increased distinctly, to 26% as compared to 13% in 1992 year.

Fig. 1: Cultivation area and yield of beetroots

Fig. 2: Number of growers and mean area of plantation

Fig. 3 Acreage structure of beetroot plantations in Poland

The level of production technology

Currently (in 2002) whole beetroot area has been sown with one-sprout seed material dressed with fungicides and insecticides and nearly 100% laboratory germinating ability. Drilling to stand is realized almost on the total area (99,1%) acreage of beetroots, while field emergence ability is last year about 80%. Final density plant forming during 1996 2002 is shown in table 2. One can see there in besides increasing yields, a higher final plant density.

Table2: Final plant density of sugar beet on farms fields (thous.)

Control of plantation in 2002 has been based mainly on chemical destroying of weeds. Post emergence way of applying herbicides deals with 63,9% of plantations and applying them prior and after emergence with 29,9%, while preemergence treatment concerns 10,4% only. Gramincides were used on 42,6% of plantations. Disease and pest control is realized through seed dressing, more often leaf diseases occuring are Cercospora beticola, Erysiphe betae, Beta virus 4 and Beta virus 2. Bigger scale of Cercospora beticola controlling is done through right choice of cultivars and agrotechnics and in the case of higher intensity, also by chemical controlling. Mineral fertilization is differentiated, depending on cultivation region and plantation. There were applied in 2002, on average 121,9kg N, 83,5 kg P2O5 and 153,5 kg K2O per 1 ha. In 2002 a harvest of sugar beet with, a harvester involving one or two-phase was done on 84% area, while the remaining 16% was semimechanic harvest, very often together with manual topping.

Factors of production technology were classified according to degree of agro technical accuracy (tab. 3).

Table3: Factor of production technology

Under evaluated factors of production technology seems to be soil pH and too timely expanded sowing date.

Expected data of sugar sector in Poland after the accession to EU as compared to 2002/2003 situations are presented in table 4.

Theses changes result from the equality of sugar beet and sugar prices to those obligatory for European Union. The main beneficent profiting of these changes will be beetroot growers.

Table4: Supposed data of sugar sector after the accession to EU and current ones

* result of negotiation: sum A-1580, B-91,9 and supposed production in sum C- 130,0 ** assuming 1 t sugar = 7 t of roots

Expected changes in production of raw material after the accession to EU involve:

- an increase of sugar yield per hectare,

- an increase of area of beetroot plantation,

- a decrease in the number of growers,

- an increase in the level of technological beetroot plantation regime observance,

- strengthening of the growers representatives organisations at the local level

- modernising the consignment and storage of beetroots,

- an increase in sugar beetroot price,

- an introduction of beetroots for ”sugar” contractual agreements, not root weight,

- tightening of co-operation of growers with sugar industry in order to reach mutual consensus on specification of contractual agreements conditions,

- development of agricultural extension services.

Supposed changes in sugar industry involve:

- further privatisation and restructuring of sugar industry,

- inflow of foreign capital to Polish sugar plants,

- production concentration in a smaller number of plants, and what follows reduction in employment and creating some better employment opportunities for the qualified staff, -introducing of new processing technologies oriented mainly towards environmental protection,

- purchase of beetroots depending on their sugar content,

- ensuring sugar plants a sale of specified amount of sugar at an attractive price and sustainable income,

- improving processing technologies, improving the quality of sugar and introduction of a new assortment,

- an increase of sugar price on the local market,

- an increase of sweeteners production,

- sustainable financial flows.

References

1.ANONYMOUS. 1993.Rynek cukru. Ministry of Agriculture IERiGZ, 3

2.ANONYMOUS.2003. Rynek cukru. Ministry of Agriculture IERiGZ, 23

3.WOSZCZYNA J., WYSZYŃSKI Z. 2000. The Strategic Options for the Polish Agro-Food Sector in the Light of Economic Analyses. WAU

4. Unpublished data of Institute of Sugar Industry

Adresa autora