Sugarbeet growers were on Capitol Hill this past week, highlighting the current challenges within the industry. “We have seen a decrease in demand and an increase in supply from foreign actors like Brazil dumping sugar on our market,” said Harrison Weber, executive director, Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association. “We are making sure they are all aware of it.” Weber emphasized the financial strain on local growers, noting a 42 percent drop in sugar prices over the past year. “With our increased on-farm costs and decrease in income on the revenue side, the math is not mathing. We have to figure out something to keep our guys going. Otherwise, if we do not, the answer is that we become more reliant on foreign countries to provide that sugar.”
