Sugarbeet Outlook

According to the USDA, old crop beet sugar production declined to just over 5 million short tons, raw value. Processing continues for another month in the Red River Valley where the beet pile shrink is at nine percent but sucrose has decreased to 14.75 percent with increased impurities in sliced beets. Projected beet sugar production for this year is 5.1 million short tons, raw value with the area planted at 31.52 tons per acre due to the high number of sugarbeets already planted by May 5.