THE RACE against winter in western Ukraine is on!

The final hectares of sugar beet being lifted in the snow near Lviv for the Continental Farmers Group, which has a large British input. Its farming guru, Dr Keith Dawson (who writes our popular 'View from the East' column), reported that yields are good at more than 50 tonnes per ha and 17% sugar.

But agriculture's limiting factor there is a short growing season with sub-zero temperatures and -30°C is forecast by Christmas.

Prices have come back a little to $520 per tonne, despite drought affecting sugar yields in India.