The Sugar Beat

As the temperature cools down, domestic sugar production is heating up thanks to excellent weather conditions.

Throughout the past year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has steadily increased its projections for domestic sugar supplies.  And based on the early production of this year’s harvest, it looks as if the rise might continue.

Farmers were mostly pleased with last year’s crop despite weather challenges, such as early frost and rainy harvests.  In fact, last year’s crop was bigger than anticipated and led to higher than forecasted surplus stocks.

But it doesn’t hold a candle to the harvest underway, where producers have been blessed with generally favorable weather conditions throughout 11 beet and four cane states.  The USDA estimates that the current harvest will exceed last year’s by nearly half a million tons, and the year before by almost a million tons.

"Personally, I think this is the best crop I've seen in my whole life," said Colorado sugarbeet producer Paul Schlagel.

From the Midwest to the Northwest, beet farmers are already lining up to deliver their crop at receiving stations.

In Idaho, beets are averaging about 17.6 percent sugar content, a percentage that is considered to be far above average according to the Amalgamated Sugar Company.

"I didn't approach that all of last year," said Jeff Henry, a farmer and president of the Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association. "It has far exceeded my expectations."

Growers throughout the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota—the biggest beet growing region in the country—have also experienced an unusually plentiful harvest this year.  

North Dakota farmer Tyler Anderson, who harvested 550 acres of sugarbeets by mid-October, said this year’s process ran as smoothly as he’s ever seen.

Likewise, Michigan Sugar Company announced that they have already received 25 percent of this year’s sugar supply. Due to the warm weather, Michigan farmers were able to plant early, in March, allowing them to begin the harvest process in late August and avoid interruptions often caused by snow and freeze.

Down south, cane growers have had good luck, too.  It’s the first time in many years that Texas, Louisiana, and Florida have all joined Hawaii in harvesting sugarcane as early as October.

In Florida, the cane harvest got underway last week—despite the damp backlash from Tropical Storm Nicole—giving 50 year-old Florida Crystals Corporation added cause for optimism during its anniversary.

Early returns are also looking good just a few miles away where the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is beginning this year’s haul. Things are starting off much brighter than the 2009/10 crop, which was hampered by deep freezes and heavy rains.

Louisiana sugarcane officials say that because of the great conditions, this season's crop, which will be harvested through December, will have a positive impact of nearly $2 billion on the state’s economy.

All of this good news is welcomed by industrial sugar users.  Combined with the 1.6 million tons of surplus sugar currently stored around the country, a bumper crop will ensure that there will be plenty to make sweet treats in 2011.