Slovak beet growers and two sugar refineries produced almost 160,000 tonnes of sugar in 2019. (source: Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPPK))
Beet growers in Slovakia decided to start planting a new beet type to combat climate change after changing weather patterns and cercosporiose, a disease caused by fungus, impacted beet production in 2019.
“Last year, even the most consistent beet growers could not stop this disease,” the Association of Beet Growers in Slovakia (ZPCRS) Chair Róbert Kovács said.
Therefore, beet growers decided to plant more than 4,000 seeds of a so-called conviso beet, which falls under the category of smart beets. The plan is to cover 3,500 hectares of the land.
