Sugar beet production in the former GDR

This paper presents a brief analysis of sugar beet production in the former GDR. Yields did not rise in the years after World War II, and the technical quality of sugar beets actually declined. To produce the amount of sugar obtained in West Germany from one hectare, two hectares of sugar beets had to be grown in the GDR. The reasons reside mainly in the political system which did not motivate people and gave them little room for development. Moreover, many farm enterprises could not meet the optimal agronomical target dates because they did not possess the necessary machine capacity. Cultivation practices had many weak points. By comparison with West Germany, production was poorly concentrated. Unification brought in its wake dramatic changes in sugar beet production, which justify the expectation that the new Länder will soon achieve the same results as western Europe. At the same time, however, the sugar beet area will have to be drastically reduced.

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Language: German

Copyright © Verlag Dr. Albert Bartens KG

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