FARGO, N.D.—It seems like 2016 will be an above average season for sugarbeets and that's the good news.
Of course, all good news can come with some bad news.
The official start date for the sugarbeet harvest is Oct. 8 but like last year, some major producers got started early.
And that means it's been a good year for beet farmers.
"We're looking at a pretty nice crop even though the north half is struggling the south half has a very nice crop," says Dan Gowan Director of Agriculture at American Crystal Sugar.
Each year the estimated yield for the year is looked at.
Producers know how many beets they can process between October and May so if the actual number of beets is greater than that they start up the factories on a smaller scale at an earlier date to deal with the excess.
"We know that there is a greater risk of storing beets after May 15 then there are the losses of having a smaller crop dug up earlier in the year like on Aug. 15," says Duane Maatz, executive director of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.
Even though this year's harvest is expected to be a big one, that doesn't mean it's going to go without its fair share of challenges.
Unlike last year when farmers were concerned there wasn't enough water in the soil for the harvest this year there is a concern that there may be too much.
And all that water is preventing some sites in the northern half from getting the head start they need.
Source: www.kvrr.com