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ZuckerrübeSugar Beet (Beta vulgaris var. altissima), plant of Mediterranean origin. Beet sugar was discovered in 1747, and the world's first beet sugar refinery started operating in Silesia in 1801. Breeding raised the sugar content from 1-4% to 18-20%. Sugar beet cultivation in Austria is subject to quota restrictions, beet farmers' delivery rights being negotiated from year to year by the Association of Beet Farmers and the sugar factories (Sugar Industry). The land area under sugar beet totalled 52,019 hectares in 1994, crop yield varied between 50 and 60 tons per hectare.
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