The fields of farmer Willem de Bruin in Milheeze have turned into a large mud puddle. Due to the enormous rainfall in recent weeks, it is hardly possible to harvest the sugar beets from the land. That is why farmer Willem is now working with a tracked vehicle in an attempt to harvest his beets.
A large mud puddle with water puddles. This is what Willem de Bruin’s fields look like after weeks of rain. The young arable farmer has never seen it so wet before: “I hear it was that bad in 1998, but that was before my time.”
Because it is much too wet, he waited three weeks before harvesting the beets. But it didn’t get any drier, and the harvesting couldn’t wait any longer. “Normally we are ready before Christmas, but now we are here with all the boys harvesting during the holidays. And I think we will still be busy throughout January.”
Sturdy price tag
That is why a tracked vehicle now drives over the soaking wet fields that, just like a tank, has no difficulty moving through the mud puddle. The beets are tipped into a loading container on top of the tracked vehicle. Willem is happy that the beets are finally coming from the field, but it comes with a hefty price tag: not only does the tracked vehicle have to be rented, but additional people are also working. Harvesting is usually done with two people, but now five are needed. And it takes a lot longer: “Normally we harvest one hectare per hour. Now I’m happy if half a hectare is achieved in that time.”
Fortunately, the farmer has no complaints about the quality of the beets, despite the wetness, which is simply good. And thanks to the use of heavy equipment, he estimates that 95 percent of the beets are still harvested. They go to Dinteloord, to the sugar factory.
To reap late is to sow late
Farmer Willem expects that the problems will return again next year. Because of the bad weather and the late harvest now, sowing will only be late next spring. “The soil must first recover, settle down and dry out again.” Only then can he sow again. And even if he wanted to, the beets don’t grow faster. “They just need their time. Nature cannot be forced.”
Those are problems for next year. After the sugar beets, farmer Willem first has potatoes to get out of the ground. “That works in the same way as here: we need many more people and machines for that.” Unlike sugar beets, potatoes do suffer from the bad weather. But Willem seems to have already resigned himself to that. “We will first wait for a better moment. And then see what we can still harvest.”