Contract sugar beet farming
In the course of the contract business, AGRANA has for many years paid attention to the advisory support of agricultural producers. The knowledge behind this advice stems from many years of experience and extensive field trials.
Performing the Farm Sustainability Assessments of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative
In the Sugar segment, the contract beet suppliers in all five beet production countries have been grouped into so-called Farm Management Groups (FMGs). In 2017, these groups’ sustainability performance had been externally audited in accordance with FSA requirements for the first time. Re-verification audits according to the new FSA 3.0 standard took place in the financial year 2023|24. Almost 100% of the farms in the FMGs of AGRANA Sugar achieved at least FSA Silver status.
Building awareness of good agricultural practice
Awareness-raising activities in the 2023|24 financial year were conducted through various events and the quarterly trade magazine “Agrosugar/Agrostarch”. For example, subject-specific webinars, physical meetings on crop-growing, and field visits were held with a focus on cultivation, seeds and crop protection. A sugar beet field day was conducted in the Tulln, Austria, catchment area at the end of June 2023, focusing on crop varieties, crop protection and hoeing technology. About 600 farmers were able to learn more about current topics related to sugar beet production. Presentations on the topics of digitalisation and camera-controlled hoeing technology as well as reduction of the volume of crop protection product use with the help of band spraying technology rounded off the programme. Contracting for beet cultivation in 2024 was offered both online and in face-to-face meetings.
Biodiversity in sugar beet cultivation
In 2023, about 3,800 hectares were greened in Austria with catch-crop mixes from Österreichische Rübensamenzucht GmbH, a not-for-profit subsidiary of AGRANA Zucker GmbH that provides farmers with GMO-free seed from its own in-house propagation and from purchased material. The catch-crops loosen the soil structure, mobilise nutrients, activate soil fauna and improve field biodiversity. In addition, annual and perennial flowering areas were created. The flowering fields provide ideal forage for wild animals, offer honey plants for bees, and add to the aesthetic dimension of the landscape.