by Greg Russell (The National) Reintroducing a crop harvested in Scotland for the first time in half a century will help support Scotland’s green economy. A consortium behind the first sugar beet crop in 50 years – harvested earlier this year – has taken a significant step forward after a pilot project laying its foundations received a funding boost from Scottish Enterprise to analyse its potential environmental, societal, and economic impact.
It is thought the move could support national climate change targets, create green jobs, and unlock new economic opportunities.
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A local source of sugar beet could pave the way for the development of an ethanol-producing biorefinery in Grangemouth – the centre of Scotland’s chemicals and petrochemical processing industries – and later support a fully functioning bio-based chemicals industry.
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“You cannot have a chemicals industry without a feedstock and to retain the sector in Scotland we need a local supply and the supply chains that follow.
“In northern Europe, that crop is sugar beet and growing it for ethanol production will not only diversify farmers’ income stream, but could allow them to be part of a green alternative to fossil fuels.
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Jim Booth, head of co-op development at SAOS, said: “The re-introduction of sugar beet represents an exciting opportunity for farmers.
“If the proposal is to get off the ground, the only way to get farmer growers involved is through co-operation.”
Iain Riddell, of SAC Consulting, added: “We welcome the viability study funding, which gives our Sugar Beet Working Group the opportunity to further investigate agronomy, harvesting logistics, refining and by-products, and, most importantly, the investment required and support mechanisms that could credit sugar beet growers for their contribution to industrial carbon savings, which help achieve Scotland’s net zero targets. READ MORE