Source: KTIC Radio
Early harvest of the sugarbeet crop in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming has been underway since Sept. 4. The weather has been mild and hot, but the beets don seem to have been affected.
“Weather doesn’t really affect us in early harvest, as we only purchase enough beets to say ahead of the factory,” said Jerry Darnell, Western Sugar vice president of ag for the south region.
The early harvest is proceeding well. Western Sugar has purchased 100,000 tons of beets, which are averaging 16.1 sugar and a 1.2 slm (sugar lost to molasses).
Early harvest will wrap up in the next couple days and regular harvest will begin Saturday Oct. 6.
“We’ll open all eight receiving stations here in Nebraska and southeast Wyoming and run regular operating hours, seven days a week,” Darnell said.
The sugar factory in Torrington, Wyo., is also up and running and has been budgeted to run 120 days.
Weather for the regular harvest looks to have a cooler October, which is always a good sign for sugarbeets.