Western Sugar Sees Record Sugar Content

Nearly all of the sugar beet crop is harvested, 98% or so, and expected to wrap up Sunday, Nov. 7, Agronomist Michael Ann Relka at Western Sugar said.

“This year, we think we’re going to average a 31.3 ton crop with an 18.8% sugar, which would be a record sugar for Nebraska,” she said.

The USDA predicted of estimated 32.4 tons per acre in August, which would beat the 31.8 ton record set in 2018. The crop is up more than 6 tons over 2019 yields, which were bleak due to early freezes in 2018 and 2019. An additional 3,700 acres of harvest were added onto the 2020 production, totaling 45,800 acres to harvest across Nebraska.

Relka said good weather and good management were the factors in the record sugars and crops, adding that there were fewer storms and hail than previous years and plenty of good growing days. There was concern with freezing temperatures in the last week of October, but also good luck.

“The 10 inches to a foot of snow helped insulate the crop and kept them from freezing too bad in the ground,” Relka said.

She said an initial payment for both the early harvest and regular season will be made to growers shortly.

“I think a lot of growers came into last spring with a bad taste in their mouth from a couple of bad years, but this year’s yield is above average with good sugars,” he said.

Busch added growers were lucky as the freeze occurred later in the season than previous harvests, as the snow and the spring back into 70-degree weather meant the beets were protected and could heal nicely.

“Those freezes can be devestating,” he said.

He said the next focus is getting the ground ready for next spring, and hoping to see some moisture locked in before it freezes.

“But mostly, take a big breath, relax and smile,“ he said.