Fine weather throughout Europe allowed farmers to make good progress with sugar beet sowings during the period April 16-21 but conditions in the Soviet Union remained unfavourable West German analyst F.O. Licht said. With daytime temperatures in parts of Europe exceeding 20 degrees centigrade Licht said sowings have been boosted and may be completed in most countries by the end of the month. In France the beet growers association said the entire crop could be sown within a week if the good weather persists. Sowings this year will still be behind 1986 but Licht noted that good results have often been produced from late-sown crops. In the Soviet Union however most beet-growing regions still had cool weather with night frosts. Only in the western Ukraine was it warm enough to permit sowings Licht said. Sowings in the USSR will consequently be much later than last year when one mln hectares had already been drilled by mid-April.
EUROPEAN BEET SOWINGS CATCH UP, USSR DELAYED