July 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 463 



Sugar-beet growing in Victoria* 



* 



R. G. DOWNING, B.Sc. (Agr.), Acting Senior Experimentalist. 



Maffra, the centre of the sugar-beet industry in Australia, is situated in 

 East Gippsland, 131 miles from Melbourne. The surrounding country 

 is practically flat, with occasional ridges, and mainly consists of a free- 

 working alluvial of basaltic derivation. The soil varies in fertility, but on 

 the aecond-class alluvial land goud beet crops are grown. The ridges 

 are of gravel formation, only suitable for grazing, and the average 

 price of land is £40 per acre. The yearly rainfall varies very much, the 

 average being about 22 inches, of which, as a rule, not less than 10 inches 

 falls between 1st October and 31st March. The district is not regarded as 

 an ideal one for growing sugar-beet on account of the comparatively low 

 and erratic rainfall. There is not in this State a district corresponding to 

 it in soil and climate, but there are certain areas on the coast resembling it, 

 in which better crops of beets would probably be grown than at Maffra. 



This season about 1,000 acres were sown with beet in the Maffra district. 

 This area represents the combined efforts of between forty and fifty growers, 

 and the greater portion of it is rented at from £2 to £3 per acre. None of 

 this area is irrigated, although it has been proved that irrigation at Maff"ra 

 results in very heavy yields. 



The difficulty last year, on account of the great demand for grass country 

 by stockowners of less fortunate districts and because of the high prices 

 obtaining for maize and other farm products, was for the beet growers to rent 

 sufficient land to put their usual area under crop, while farmers who own 

 land have also been tempted to take advantage of the promising market for 

 maize and potatoes. This resulted in a slightly decreased area last year, and 

 the outlook for next year is scarcely promising. 



The factory would be run much more economically if the produce of over 

 2,000 instead of 1,000 acres were treated. This will always be the trouble 

 under the present system. A suggestion by the Beet Growers' Association 

 is that the Government should resume 1,000 acres in the district for the 

 purpose of letting it in small areas for growing beet, with the alternative of 

 purchase by the growers at a later date. 



An average yield of beet at Maff'ra is 12 tons per acre. The roots were 

 paid for this season at the rate of 35s. per ton, and the probability is that 

 the price for next year's crop will be higher. Allowing £12 for all costs 

 until the beets are delivered at the factory, this leaves a profit of £9 per 

 acre. There are doubtless many crops that at present give higher returns 

 compared with the capital value of the land, but the contention of Maff'ra 

 growers is that there is not a crop which, over a period of years, gives such 

 a high average return. 



• Extracted from a report on a visit to the sugar-beet districts of "Victoria. 



