Sugar refineries of Belarus started processing sugar beet of the 2010 harvest, BelTA learnt from the Belgospishcheprom concern.

Beet harvesting began on 28 August. A two-day supply of sugar beet was needed to start the processing.

This season the gross harvest of sugar beets is expected at more than 4 million tonnes. A total of 870 tonnes will be stored and processed in September.

As of August 31 agricultural organizations of the country cropped 56,000 tonnes of sugar beets: Gorodeya Sugar Refinery – 15,000 tonnes, Skidel – 7,000 tonnes, Slutsk – 22,000 tonnes and Zhabinka Sugar Refinery – 12,000 tonnes. The production of beet sugar in the upcoming season is projected to total at least 500,000 tonnes.

The sugar plants implemented a range of upgrade projects to get prepared for the new season. As a result, the production capacities of the plants reached 28,000 tonnes per day.

The sugar beet harvest campaign ill involve 986 beet harvesters, including 170 of foreign manufacture. Sugar beet will be stored at 35 sugar beet collecting stations with the total capacity of 1.6 million tonnes. An electronic reception system has been introduced at all sugar beet collecting stations in order to avoid lineups.

Sugar mills have been provided with advance payments at the amount of 56.4% of the cost of the state procurement contract in order to secure sustained sugar beet production in 2010.