After they are harvested, beets are hauled to a factory. In the UK, beets are transported by a hauler, or by a tractor and a trailer by local farmers. Railways and boats are no longer used. Some beets were carried by rail in the Republic of Ireland, until the shutdown of sugar beet production in 2006 after the end of the government subsidies.
Each load is weighed and sampled before it gets tipped onto the reception area, typically a "flat pad" of concrete, where it is moved into large heaps. The beet sample is checked for
soil tare - the amount of non beet delivered
crown tare - the amount of low sugar beet delivered
sugar content ("pol") - amount of sucrose in the crop
nitrogen content - for recommending future fertilizer use to the farmer.
From these elements, the actual sugar content of the load is calculated and the grower's payment determined.
The beet is moved from the heaps into a central channel or gulley, where it is washed towards the processing plant.
MLS Torontobespoke swiss chalets
Fri Nov 11, 2011 6:21 am