JOHN Kirk is totally wrong in saying farmers are in a win-win situation whereas his union members are in a lose-lose one (Sweet and sour: farmers and unions in row over closure, August 18).

Farmers will receive one year's compensation of £8 per ton (of sugar beet).

We do not want that, but wish to continue to grow beet. It is our one saving grace in farming, our main cleaning crop, putting fertility back into the soil for winter wheat, feeding lambs on the aftermath following lifting - more fertiliser - the natural way.

Our autumn beet is due, being the arable farmer's first payment of the season, and most welcome, too.

Hundreds of people down the line will also be touched, from seed sales, to beet harvest contractors, with their now-redundant machines costing £270,000, to solicitors, accountants, supermarkets, etc.

How ironic that Hilleshog, the seed researchers, are celebrating their centenary of producing new varieties of beet seed and better-yielding crops.

Mr Kirk should remember the NFU and farmers are not closing the factory, but British Sugar is.

Why does someone not open an ethanol producing plant? It is better than rape seed for fuel, apparently, by what I read. It is nearer to petrol than anything else. Then we can continue to grow sugar beet and the BSC could be employed there.

Pamela Z Frankland Lodge Farm, Hull Road, Dunnington.