Saturday, 31 October 2026
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AgriculturePublished: 31 October 2026 at 11:03

Fodder Beet: If You Gave a Cow Pocket Money, She'd Spend It on Beet!

In Ireland, fodder beet is praised as an outstanding crop. The Rīga TV editorial team compared yields, feed value and costs with Latvian conditions: a hectare could yield 50–90 tonnes of beet, but energy from it would cost 1.8–3.1 times more in Latvia than energy from maize silage. Here, beet is a valuable supplement, not cheap feed.

A recent opinion piece on the Irish farming portal AgriLand opens with a line a ruminant nutritionist once offered at a farmers' meeting: if cattle had pocket money, they would spend it on fodder beet. The author, who has no personal experience of growing beet, stresses that the crop copes well with drought because the plants can make up for lost growth once the rain returns. Ireland saw this in both 2025 and 2026. The author calls both beet and maize "rocket fuel" in ruminant diets. After a dry summer, grass silage stocks are dwindling fast on many Irish farms, so demand for beet is strong. The author also notes that tillage farmers, who are under economic pressure, are well placed to grow beet and maize for livestock farmers.

Rīga TV has already published a short version of this opinion piece. This time we checked how much of it applies to Latvia: how many tonnes of beet per hectare are obtained in Europe, what their feed value is, whether beet has already been grown for livestock in Latvia, what our climate dictates and, most importantly, how much such feed would cost a Latvian farmer compared with silage, maize and barley. The figures are taken from official statistics, advisory services and scientific studies. Where we did the calculations ourselves, this is stated.

What is fodder beet

Fodder beet is the same species (Beta vulgaris) to which sugar beet and table beet belong, only bred for fodder. It has a large root that often grows half above ground, and it contains more water than sugar beet. By dry matter content, varieties are divided into types: fodder-type beet has less than 12% dry matter, fodder-sugar type 12–16%, sugar-fodder type 16–20%, and sugar beet more than 20% (Feedipedia, KWS).

The lower the dry matter, the higher the fresh-weight yield. The higher the dry matter, the more feed in each tonne and the easier it is to store the beet. Varieties intended for grazing grow more above ground, while high-dry-matter varieties are usually lifted with a harvester and stored. Lithuania's 2025 variety list includes, for example, 'Brigadier', 'Kyros', 'Magnum' and 'Barbara'. Varieties listed in the EU common catalogue may also be sold in Latvia.

How many tonnes per hectare are obtained in Europe

Yields depend on climate, variety and whether only the roots are counted or the leaves as well:

  • Ireland: usually 70–110 t/ha of fresh matter, or 13–20 t of dry matter at 18–20% dry matter content (seed trader Interchem). The national advisory service Teagasc plans for 13 t of utilisable dry matter per hectare.
  • Scotland: on average about 20 t of dry matter per hectare; roots 65–80 t/ha of fresh matter (SRUC).
  • Netherlands: the official standard yield is 100 t/ha, or 15.5 t of dry matter; for maize silage 16.1 t (RVO).
  • Belgium: in official variety trials 18–22 t of dry matter per hectare (ILVO).
  • Poland: in official trials in 2022–2025, the standard variety gave 87.5–105.2 t/ha of roots, or 12.0–14.5 t of dry matter at 13–15.6% dry matter content (COBORU).
  • Denmark: on farms in 2015–2024 an average of 59.5–86.3 t/ha (Statistics Denmark).
  • New Zealand: in good practice 28–30 t of dry matter per hectare; in trials 11.3–34.6 t.

Yields in trial plots are usually higher than farm averages. The Polish data show another pattern: for a variety with higher dry matter content, the fresh-weight yield may be lower, but the dry-matter yield higher.

In addition to the roots, leaves grow: another 10–20 t/ha of fresh matter (Scottish data), and the leaves contain on average about 17% protein (New Zealand data). They can be grazed off or ploughed into the soil. Leaves are not included in our calculation.

Feed value: why people talk about "rocket fuel"

Beet is a very energy-rich but protein-poor feed. Teagasc data per 1 kg of dry matter:

  • fodder beet: 1.12 UFL of energy, 8% crude protein, 15% fibre (NDF);
  • good grass silage: 0.86 UFL, 14% protein, 45% NDF;
  • average grass silage: 0.76 UFL, 12% protein, 50% NDF;
  • maize silage: 0.88 UFL, 8% protein, 41% NDF;
  • barley: 1.16 UFL, 11% protein, 17% NDF.

UFL is a milk-production energy unit used in France and Ireland: 1 UFL corresponds to the energy in 1 kg of barley. The tables of the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL) express the same in net energy for lactation (NEL), which is also used in Latvia: beet 7.5 MJ per kg of dry matter, grass silage 6.4, maize silage 6.7, barley 8.1.

In other words, a kilogram of beet dry matter provides almost as much energy as a kilogram of barley and 12–30% more than maize silage or good grass silage (depending on the table). About two thirds of beet dry matter is sugars, and organic matter digestibility is around 90% (Feedipedia). The weak points are little protein, little fibre, and little calcium and phosphorus.

Has fodder beet been grown for livestock in Latvia before

Yes, and at one time a lot of it. Data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) on fodder root crops (beet is not reported separately):

  • In 1995 — 19.8 thousand ha, of which 18.1 thousand ha on farms and household plots;
  • In 2000 — 9.0 thousand ha with an average yield of 24.7 t/ha;
  • In 2005 — 3.8 thousand ha, in 2008 — 0.9 thousand ha;
  • In 2020–2025 — about 0.1 thousand ha a year; yields ranged from 11.4 to 32.2 t/ha.

The area shrank along with the number of cows: in 1990 Latvia had 535 thousand dairy cows, in 2000 205 thousand, and in 2025 112 thousand (CSB). None of the sources we found names the cause of the decline directly. It is likely that the large amount of manual labour beet used to require also played a role.

In Rural Support Service (LAD) data, fodder beet and sugar beet are declared under a single code (831). In 2024, 2,032.7 ha were declared under it, but 1,939 ha of these were in five parishes where sugar beet is grown: Krimūni, Jaunsvirlauka, Viesturi, Pampāļi and Gaiķi. The remaining roughly 94 ha in 44 parishes are most likely fodder beet (editorial calculation). We found no Latvian trials with modern fodder beet varieties, no gross margin figures from the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC), and no descriptions of farm experience.

In neighbouring countries: in Estonia in 1990 fodder root crops covered 11.1 thousand ha with a yield of 48 t/ha, but since 2006 the area has been 0.1 thousand ha or less. In Lithuania in 2024 they covered 0.13 thousand ha with a yield of 34.1 t/ha.

Sugar beet experience shows that beet grows well here

Three sugar factories operated in Latvia: in Jelgava (first sugar in 1926), Jēkabpils (1932) and Liepāja (1933). In 2002 sugar beet covered 15.9 thousand ha with a yield of 39.1 t/ha, and in 2006 12.7 thousand ha with 37.4 t/ha. Because of the EU sugar reform, Latvia gave up its sugar quota, and on 31 January 2007 the end of sugar production was announced.

Since 2018, sugar beet has been grown in Latvia again, for export to the Nordic Sugar factory in Kėdainiai, Lithuania. The first official CSB data are for 2025: 1.4 thousand ha with an average yield of 57.7 t/ha, which is 54% more than in 2006. In Lithuania the average yield in 2021–2025 was 67.6 t/ha, and 75.2 t/ha in 2025 (Eurostat). So modern varieties in Latvia yield at least about 11.5 t of dry matter per hectare (if sugar beet contains at least 20% dry matter; editorial calculation). Latvia also has beet harvesting equipment: in 2023 a sugar beet logistics company bought specialised machinery (LSM).

Latvian livestock farmers already use the feed value of beet, but they buy it from abroad: in 2023 Latvia imported molassed sugar beet pulp pellets from Russia worth more than 25 million euros (LSM "De facto"). This is not the same product as fodder beet, but both are energy feeds.

Climate: what is different in Latvia compared with Ireland

Ireland's main advantage is its long growing season — roughly 240–340 days a year. In Latvia the period with a mean daily temperature above 5 °C lasts about 195 days (LVĢMC, 1961–1990; two days longer in 1981–2010). For beet this means three things.

  1. Later sowing. Beet is sown when the soil has stably warmed to 7–8 °C. In Ireland the yield loss is about 4% for each week that sowing is delayed after mid-April. In Latvia sowing is most likely possible in late April or early May (editorial assessment).
  2. Harvest by the end of October. Beet begins to freeze at about −3 °C (British Beet Research Organisation, BBRO). In Lithuania the first ground frosts in autumn come on average on 6 October, and near the Latvian border, in Šiauliai and Panevėžys, already on 28 September. In Ireland beet can keep growing until late autumn; Latvia has no such extra growth.
  3. Storage must be protected from frost. In Ireland and New Zealand, beet is grazed directly in the field over winter. In Latvia this is not possible: the January climate norm is about −3 °C, while in January 2024 the mean temperature was −5.2 °C with a minimum of −29.5 °C. Beet has to be lifted and stored in a clamp covered with plastic sheeting and insulated with straw, or in a building. The temperature in the clamp must not fall below −5 °C (Feedipedia).

In Danish trials, dry matter losses in clamps up to March were 5–7.5%, and up to June 16–26%. So in Latvia beet is a winter feed that must be used up by spring.

The drought resilience praised in Ireland brings less in Latvia: in Ireland beet "recovered well" in the long autumn after the 2018 drought (Teagasc, Irish Farmers Journal), but Latvia has no such autumn reserve. On the other hand, the beet harvest (September–October) does not coincide with the grass silage season. LLKC notes that in 2025 prolonged rain made forage preparation difficult or even impossible in parts of Latvia. Beet allows weather risk to be spread, although in a wet autumn on heavy soils the beet harvest also becomes difficult.

Calculation: what fodder beet would cost in Latvia

Nobody publishes a gross margin for fodder beet in Latvia. The editorial team therefore prepared a calculation using the LLKC (Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre) gross margin methodology: all field operations are bought in as a service at the average 2025 prices compiled by LLKC, and inputs are taken from the LLKC table beet gross margin and Teagasc 2026 data. Land rent, own labour and own machinery are not included (just as in LLKC gross margins).

Costs per hectare

  • Seed (~100,000 seeds/ha): €193 (Teagasc; we did not find Latvian prices)
  • Fertiliser: €663 (LLKC table beet fertiliser package)
  • Herbicides: €199 (LLKC, table beet)
  • Fungicides and insecticides: €68 (Teagasc)
  • Ploughing, disking and two passes of cultivation: €187
  • Sowing: €56
  • Spreading mineral fertiliser (3 times): €62
  • Spraying (5 times): €121
  • Harvesting with a beet harvester: €375 (LLKC)
  • Transport to the clamp: €101–183 depending on yield (LLKC transport hourly rate)
  • Covering the clamp with plastic sheeting and straw: ~€40 (editorial assumption)

Total: €2,065–2,146/ha, excluding beet washing and chopping. In Ireland, washing and chopping beet as a service costs a further €330/ha. For comparison: Teagasc calculates the variable costs of fodder beet in Ireland for 2026 at €2,395/ha, so costs in the two countries are similar.

Yield and energy: three scenarios

We assumed 15% dry matter (the level of official data from Poland and the Netherlands) and 15% losses during harvesting and storage (Teagasc and Danish data indicate 10–20%).

  • Conservative, 50 t/ha (less than the average Latvian sugar beet yield in 2025; for example in an unfavourable year or in the first year of experience): 7.5 t of dry matter, of which 6.4 t usable; about 48,000 MJ NEL per hectare. Cost: €324 per tonne of dry matter.
  • Base, 70 t/ha (the middle of the range of yields on Danish farms): 10.5 t of dry matter, 8.9 t usable; about 67,000 MJ NEL, or about 10,000 UFL per hectare. Cost: €236/t of dry matter.
  • Good, 90 t/ha (the level of official Polish trials): 13.5 t of dry matter, 11.5 t usable; about 86,000 MJ NEL per hectare. Cost: €187/t of dry matter.

In the base scenario, a hectare would give as much energy as about 10 tonnes of barley (the yield assumed in the LLKC 2025 spring barley gross margin is 2.8 t/ha). But costs are also 3.4 times higher: €2,106 versus €618 per hectare.

Comparison with silage, maize and barley

LLKC 2025 gross margins (all operations as a service); energy for all feeds was calculated from a single LfL table to keep the comparison fair:

  • Maize silage: 35 t/ha at 40% dry matter, or 14 t of dry matter; €92 per tonne of dry matter; €13.7 per 1,000 MJ NEL.
  • Grass silage, clamp (2nd–5th year of use): 22 t/ha at 32% dry matter, or 7 t of dry matter; €113/t of dry matter; €17.6 per 1,000 MJ.
  • Grass silage, bales: 20 t/ha, or 6.4 t of dry matter; €169/t of dry matter; €26.4 per 1,000 MJ.
  • Purchased barley at €160/t (LLKC 2025 price, assuming 86% dry matter): €186/t of dry matter; €23.0 per 1,000 MJ.
  • Fodder beet: €24.9 (good), €31.5 (base) and €43.2 (conservative scenario) per 1,000 MJ; with washing and chopping €28.8–50.1.

In the base scenario, energy from beet costs 2.3 times more than from maize silage, 1.8 times more than from clamp silage and 1.4 times more than from purchased barley. Even in a good year with 90 t/ha, beet is more expensive than maize and clamp silage, but costs about the same as bale silage and barley.

If the LLKC table energy values are used for maize and silage (6.1 and 5.63 MJ NEL per kg of dry matter), maize energy costs €15.1 and clamp silage €20.1 per 1,000 MJ. The gap narrows, but the conclusion does not change. Moreover, for maize LLKC gives a green-mass yield with no separate note on losses, whereas for beet we deducted losses.

Why is the conclusion different in Ireland? Maize grows worse there: Teagasc calculates only 12 t of dry matter per hectare with 0.8 UFL per kg and €155 per tonne of dry matter. Therefore, per unit of energy, beet (€184/t, 1.12 UFL) in Ireland is cheaper than maize. In Latvia, LLKC calculates 14 t of dry matter for maize at €92/t, and it is precisely the cheap maize that is the main reason why beet has a harder time competing here.

If beet is grown for sale

In Ireland, beet is often grown by arable farmers and sold to livestock farmers. For 2026, Teagasc plans a price of €50 per tonne and a break-even yield of 47.3 t/ha; at 65 t/ha the gross margin is about €885/ha. Washed beet delivered in Ireland costs about €54–80/t (AgriLand, Irish Farmers Journal).

According to our calculation, the grower's cost of production in Latvia (excluding profit and land rent) would be about €41 per tonne at 50 t/ha, €30 at 70 t/ha and €24 at 90 t/ha. Such a model could interest arable farmers with experience of sugar beet. For a livestock farmer, however, bought-in beet at €40–50/t (at 15% dry matter) would mean €267–333 per tonne of dry matter, which is more expensive than barley.

What beet gives livestock: research results

Beet's main advantage is not that it is cheap, but that animals eat it willingly and, along with it, eat more feed overall.

  • Beet in addition to silage: in a study where cows received silage and 6 kg of concentrate, a supplement of 2 and 4 kg of beet dry matter raised total feed intake from 15.2 to 16.4 and 17.3 kg of dry matter per day. Milk yield did not change significantly, but milk fat rose from 964 to 1,095 g per day and milk protein from 757 to 841 g per day (Roberts, 1987).
  • Beet partly replacing silage: in a study of 40 cows, where 30% of the roughage was beet, feed intake and milk protein content increased and milk yield did not change, but the feed energy was used less efficiently for milk (Ferris et al., 2003).
  • Beet replacing concentrate: total feed intake fell from 18.3 to 17.2 kg of dry matter, and milk yield dropped by as much as 4 kg per day (Birkenmaier et al., 1996). For high-yielding cows, beet does not replace concentrate one-for-one.
  • Beef cattle: in New Zealand, steers grazing beet in the field gained on average 1.01 kg per day over 130 days (Saldias and Gibbs, 2016). Northern Irish advisers (DAERA/CAFRE) recommend up to 25 kg of fresh beet per day for finishing cattle over 500 kg, and note that 4.5 kg of beet is equivalent in energy to about 1 kg of rolled barley (if the beet contains about 20% dry matter; editorial calculation).

How to feed beet safely

Beet is rich in sugars, so the main risk is rumen acidosis. Recommendations from advisers in Scotland (SAC/FAS), Britain (AHDB) and Northern Ireland (DAERA), as well as Feedipedia:

  • Introduce it gradually. For dairy cows, start with no more than 5 kg of fresh beet per day and increase by 3–5 kg every four days. When grazing in the field, start with 1 kg of dry matter and add 1 kg every two days over about 21 days. The risk of acidosis is highest on days 7–10.
  • Observe the limits. For dairy cows, usually up to 15–20 kg of fresh beet (3–4 kg of dry matter) per day. In grazing studies in late lactation, beet has made up as much as ~40% of feed dry matter. The total beet dry matter must not exceed ~0.8% of body weight.
  • Always provide roughage. At least 2 kg of roughage dry matter per cow per day.
  • Supplement protein and minerals. Beet is low in protein (~8%), calcium and phosphorus, so a protein supplement (such as rapeseed or soya meal) and limestone are needed. A case has been described where heifers grazing beet developed rickets.
  • Wait after lifting. Freshly lifted beet contains more nitrates, so it is fed no sooner than 4 days after harvest.
  • Clean and chopped. Soil and stones must be removed, and large, hard roots chopped so animals do not choke. Do not feed beet to calves under 6 months of age.
  • Be careful with pregnant ewes. In a New Zealand study, ewes that ate beet from day 80 of pregnancy had lamb losses of 34% versus 15% on pasture, and the ewes were iodine-deficient (AgResearch, 2017).

Growing risks

  • Weeds. Beet grows slowly at first, so 2–4 herbicide sprays are needed.
  • Crop rotation. Because of beet cyst nematode, beet is grown in the same field no more often than once every six years. Farms that grow sugar beet must take this into account too.
  • Soil and fertilisation. Soil with a pH of about 7 is needed, with enough potassium, sodium and boron (Teagasc recommends ~3 kg of boron per hectare).
  • Machinery. A precision seed drill, a beet harvester and a way to clean the beet are needed.
  • Diseases and pests. Leaf diseases (cercospora, rust, powdery mildew), root rots and aphid-transmitted viruses.
  • Wet autumn. On heavy soils, harvesting can become difficult.

Conclusion: who in Latvia should try it

Fodder beet does grow in Latvia: this is shown both by the tens of thousands of hectares in the 1990s and by today's sugar beet yields of about 58 t/ha. But Ireland's enthusiasm cannot be transferred directly. In Latvia the season is shorter, beet must be lifted by the end of October and stored in a clamp protected from frost. Most importantly, Latvia has cheap maize silage, with which beet cannot compete per unit of energy.

By our calculation, beet in Latvia is an expensive but valuable supplement, not a cheap silage replacement. It could make the most sense for:

  • dairy farms that want to increase feed intake and milk fat and protein, if beet is a 2–4 kg dry matter supplement per day, not a concentrate replacement;
  • beef cattle finishing, where beet replaces part of the barley;
  • farms that rely on round-bale silage, because in a good year beet provides energy at a similar price;
  • farms close to sugar beet growers, where beet sowing and harvesting machinery can be hired, as well as grain growers who could grow beet to sell to livestock farmers.

For anyone who wants to try, a logical start would be a small area with a high-dry-matter variety, a harvesting service arranged in advance and a carefully prepared clamp. It would also be worthwhile to record your own yields and costs, because there is currently no modern Latvian data on fodder beet.

Sources

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Fodder Beet: If You Gave a Cow Pocket Money, She'd Spend It on Beet! — Rīga TV