American Crystal Exceeds Expectations

MOORHEAD, MN--As of Tuesday morning, October 17, American Crystal's harvest progress was about 80 percent complete. Stockpile harvest has been stalled and started numerous times since it began September 30, due to heat, rain, and frost shut downs. Currently, the crop is predicted to yield about 25 tons per acre, which is well above American Crystal's historical five-year average of 19 tons per acre. Sugar content is estimated to exceed 18 percent, which is also above the company's historical five-year average of 17.8 percent. American Crystal Sugar Company is an agricultural cooperative owned by nearly 2,900 shareholder entities in the Red River Valley (northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota) involved in the growing and processing of sugarbeets. American Crystal employs about 1,700 full- and part-time employees and is the largest beet sugar producer in the United States. American Crystal operates sugar factories at East Grand Forks, Crookston, and Moorhead, Minn.; Drayton and Hillsboro, N.D.; and Sidney, Mont., under the name Sidney Sugars Incorporated. American Crystal's corporate headquarters and technical services facilities are located in Moorhead.