Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support negotiations between sugar beet growers and British Sugar PLC.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared, therefore we recognise the importance of sugar beet farmers receiving a price agreed for their 2024 sugar beet crop that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market.

Defra had discussion with all parties and were pleased to see NFU Sugar and British Sugar resume negotiations and continuing with the well-established process in place which is designed to be independent between both parties.

It is very important that all parties involved now continue to follow that process and reach a mutually acceptable outcome.