A local farm has received a visit from National Farmers' Union representatives and Rutland and Melton's MP.

 On Friday, Alicia Kearns MP met with representatives from the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and British Sugar at a sugar beet farm in Barrowden to learn more about the homegrown beet sugar industry. 

She met with Richard and Charles Tyler (Growers), Philip Ecclestone (Technical Support Manager, Agriculture Team, British Sugar), Emma Green (Public Affairs Manager, British Sugar), Elinor Poyner (Account Manager, Agriculture Team, British Sugar) and Sam Williamson (Adviser, NFU Sugar).

Alicia was updated on the 'Virus Yellows Pathway', the work being done across the farming industry to tackle this disease, and measures being taken to protect the sugar beet crop in the long term. 

Alicia Kearns, Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton said: "Farmers like Richard and Charles are the backbone of our rural communities, however setbacks such as the virus yellows (VY) disease can be devastating for crop yields. 

"NFU, British Sugar and the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) are doing amazing work to tackle this threat to sugar beet growers, working with experts from across the industry to create a long-term strategy to find a solution to the challenges VY presents. 

"There is not a simple solution, but this pathway is a vital step forward to protect the crops and livelihoods of our local sugar beet growers." 

Virus Yellows disease is made up of three viruses: Beet Mild Yellowing Virus (BMYV), Beet Chlorisis Virus (BChV) and Beet Yellows Virus (BYV). 

These viruses are transmitted when aphids carrying the viruses feed on sugar beet, causing chlorosis of leaves, which in turn disrupts photosynthetic, respiratory and other metabolic processes.

These changes can cause sugar yield losses of up to 50% in root crops, and are detrimental to the local farming industry.