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Sugar Industry Programme showcases homegrown beet sugar in Parliament

12 February 2026

SIP 2025/26 participants with Agriculture Minister Angela Eagle MP, Baroness Batters, Keith Packer, Kit Papworth and other industry representatives

Marking its 13^th year, the Sugar Industry Programme (SIP), which is jointly sponsored by British Sugar and NFU Sugar, once again took its message on the importance of homegrown sugar to Parliament.

On Tuesday 3^rd February, the SIP participants, including sugar beet farmers and professionals from British Sugar and the British Beet Research Organisation, joined their own constituency MPs, as well as other MPs who support the sugar and agriculture sector, to tell them more about their work in the industry and discuss key policy issues.

This year’s SIP participants and industry representative discussed a range of topics with the 17 MPs who attended the reception, including food security, the need for trade policy to support British agricultural interests and the opportunities which agri-tech developments such as precision breeding can bring to the beet industry.  

The reception’s guest speakers were Agriculture Minister Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, who shared more on the Government’s plans for farming over the coming months, and acknowledged the value of the British beet sugar industry in the agri-food sector, and Baroness Minette Batters, who commented on her recent Farm Profitability Review – adding that the beet sector is critical to UK farming. Baroness Batters also praised the Sugar Industry Programme, hailing its important role in training the next generation of leaders in the sector.

Agriculture Minister Dame Angela Eagle MP said, “It was a pleasure to meet sugar beet growers and representatives from the British beet sugar industry at their Parliamentary reception. The beet sector is a vital part of our agri‑food economy in the East, and I welcomed the chance to hear about its opportunities and how Government can support its continued success.”

The reception’s host, Charlie Dewhirst MP – Member of Parliament for Bridlington and the Wolds and EFRA Committee Member – added, “Sugar beet is a very important part of the arable rotation, and I am proud to represent a constituency which is home to several beet growers. Programmes such as the SIP are highly valuable in developing and upskilling the farming industry’s future leaders, and I was pleased to meet with this year’s impressive SIP participants. I look forward to continuing to support the homegrown sugar industry.”

Keith Packer, British Sugar Managing Director, commented, “It is always fantastic to meet with beet growers and professionals who are the future of our industry, so that together we can raise awareness of the importance of homegrown sugar. The SIP reception gives us the opportunity to take this message straight to the heart of Westminster, and bang the drum for the British beet sugar industry. At this pivotal time for British farming, we urge the Government to foster a policy environment which ensures the very best for our whole sector – from field to factory.”

Kit Papworth, Chair of NFU Sugar, said, “The Sugar Industry Programme is a true feather in the cap of our homegrown sugar beet industry. We remain extremely proud of it and the 100+ farmers that have been through it. In the context of the multitude of challenges we currently face as a sector, from pest, disease and climate related pressures to trade policy which threatens to undermine domestic growers, it’s vital that we continue to invest in upskilling the next generation of industry leaders. Events such as today provide a vital touchstone between government and industry, and an important opportunity to consider ways in which we can collaborate together towards a sustainable future.”

• British Sugar and NFU Sugar launched the Sugar Industry Programme in 2010/11. The initiative was designed to engage the next generation of growers and industry professionals through a training and development programme.
• Now in its 13^th year, running bi-annually, the programme provides a 360-degree view of the industry, from research and seed production to factory processes and policy formulation.