The government has told the two sides who meet to agree an annual price for sugar beet to go back to the negotiating table.

British Sugar and National Farmers' Union (NFU) Sugar have been at loggerheads since the company sent out a letter to growers with an "offer" last week after annual talks stalled.

NFU Sugar chairman Michael Sly expressed outrage that the company had contacted growers before a deal was reached, and NFU Minette Batters urged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to step in.

Meanwhile, growers in Suffolk and across the wider East Anglian region where most of the crop is grown are still waiting for a firm price - several months on from when they might normally know.

DEFRA said this week that it has had further discussion with "all parties".

"The government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production," a government spokesman said.

"We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared.

"That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market."

He added: "There is a well-established process in place to agree the sugar beet price designed to be independent between both parties, with government only acting as final arbitrator at the end of the process should no agreement be reached.

"It is very important that all parties involved now continue to follow that process and reach a mutually acceptable outcome."

NFU Sugar welcomed "the clear direction" from government that negotiations with British Sugar to set a price for sugar beet this year should resume.

"Government’s direction could not be clearer. NFU Sugar is ready to resume the negotiation process that British Sugar bypassed last week," NFU Sugar said.

"But that price-setting process cannot function effectively while British Sugar is, at the same time, making unilateral offers to beet growers outside of it.

"We expect British Sugar to adhere to government’s direction and return to the negotiating table in good faith."

British Sugar said last week that it had sent an email to growers to offer them a "competitive core price" so that they could have some certainty in order to plan.

The company - which has been engaged in the process since June - has said it remains committed to working through the negotiation process with the NFU.

Its position is that there is no downside to growers signing up now as the company would still honour any negotiated outcome.