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Geography of Sugar
Sugar Cane
Sugar cane is a relative of ordinary grass and grows to five metres in height.
It is found in the tropical and semi-tropical climates of the world. This part of the world is hot and sunny all year and has heavy seasonal rainfall – conditions in which the plant thrives. Just under half of Britain’s sugar comes from this source.
Farming sugar cane
Sugar cane is mainly grown on large farms called plantations. Before cane can be grown the land is prepared by ploughing. Short selections of cane called “setts” are planted and new shoots and roots grow from ‘eyes’ in the sett. After planting, the crop is sprayed with water and fertilizer. A single sett can produce up to seven crops.
It takes between 11 and 18 months for the cane to produce enough sugar for the crop to be ready for harvesting. In the past nearly all cane sugar was harvested by hand using large knives called ‘machetes’. Today many plantations use special machinery to harvest crops. When the cane is harvested it has a sugar content of about 12%. The roots are left in the ground as they will eventually sprout and grow to form the next crop. The new canes are called ratoons.
Once the cane is cut it is sent to the sugar cane mill for processing into raw sugar. This has to be done quickly as the crop soon begins to deteriorate in the warm, damp climate. See Production of Sugar for further details.
Sugar Beet
Sugar beet is a large pale brown root crop similar to the parsnip, and has a sugar content of 16% when it is harvested. It grows in the temperate climate of Europe and North America.
Sugar beet in Britain
In the United Kingdom sugar beet provides just over half of the sugar we use. The beet sugar industry took off here in the 1920s for two main reasons: firstly to make Britain more self-sufficient in sugar production after the shortages of World War I (1914-1918); and secondly to boost the depressed agricultural industry by giving farmers the opportunity to grow a valuable cash crop.
Origins of the British beet sugar industry
By 1900 the beet sugar industry was firmly established in mainland Europe and had even spread to the United States where, in the south, sugar cane was already an important crop. Britain lagged far behind France and Germany in establishing a 'home-grown' sugar industry. There was no sense of urgency because our cane refineries were plentifully supplied by plantations in the colonies and cheap, raw beet sugar was available from the Continent.
Short-lived attempts at growing and processing sugar beet took place in the mid 1800s in numerous areas, including Maldon in Essex, Lavenham in Suffolk, and Mountmellick in Ireland. These enterprises failed for various reasons: farmers were reluctant to grow a crop they did not know; the factories were ill-equipped; or the projects simply ran out of money.
Interest in sugar beet stayed alive, however, because of the crop's success wherever it was introduced in Europe. Also, experiments were showing that sugar beet could flourish in British soils and weather conditions. Nevertheless, concerted efforts to develop a British beet sugar industry did not emerge until after the turn of the century.
Britain's first sugar beet crop was grown and processed in Norfolk more than 80 years ago. That first harvest and factory 'campaign' began a remarkable partnership between agriculture and industry that has endured throughout the 20th century.
While making a major contribution to Britain's economy, the beet sugar industry has been a way of life for generations of farmers and factory workers.
Growing sugar beet
Preparing the fields for sugar beet begins as early as the autumn when the soil is tested to see if phosphate, potassium and sodium (minerals) need to be applied before ploughing. Sometimes lime is spread on the fields to ensure that the soil is not too acidic. Sowing generally takes place in late March and early April. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied at this time to help the crop grow, and specialist herbicides may be sprayed over the fields to stop weeds growing. Timing is critical in the growing and harvesting of sugar beet. The harvesting period, known as the ‘campaign’ amongst farmers, takes place between September and Christmas when the amount of sugar in the beet is at its highest. A delay in harvesting can prove very costly to the farmer as sugar beet is easily damaged by frost. Harvesting is therefore finished as quickly as possible.
Harvesting
Harvesters cut off the top leaves of the sugar beet. The tops are used as animal feed for cattle and sheep or are ploughed back into the land as a natural fertilizer. The root is then cleaned to remove any soil attached to it. Because beet is a heavy and bulky crop, transport distances are kept as short as possible to reduce costs. As a result, the sugar factories have been built in the beet growing areas and they are all on the edge of large towns, which can provide the workforce. See Production of Sugar for further details.
Sugar production figures worldwide
The latest estimates of world production from Czarnikow for the 2008/9 crop year are:
Cane-producing countries |
Quantity |
Asia |
58,242,000 |
South and Central America |
51,357,000 |
Africa |
9,778,000 |
North America and Caribbean |
5,653,000 |
Oceania |
4,887,000 |
World Total |
129,917,000 |
Beet-producing countries |
Quantity |
Europe (27 countries) |
14,788,000 |
Former Russian |
6,015,000 |
USA |
3,833,000 |
China |
1,239,000 |
World Total |
25,875,000 |
So total world production is 155,792,000
For further information please visit Tate and Lyle Sugars or British Sugar plc
