The USDA NASS has provided an update on the 2024 U.S. sugarbeet crop planting in its weekly crop progress report (https://www.nass.usda.gov/) from last week. Here’s a sample of what the latest report showed.
Colorado – Growers in Colorado are just about done planting with 94 percent of beets planted, up from 70 percent a week ago. And that’s a bit ahead of the 83 percent five-year average but well ahead of the 72 percent that was planted at this time a year ago.
The report also shows 51 percent of the beet crop has emerged.
Wyoming – Wyoming has, according to NASS reports, planted 98 percent of its beet crop thus far this year, a slight increase from last week’s 94 percent. The five-year average stands at 93 percent. Last year at this time, 88 percent of the sugarbeet crop had been planted.
Thirty-three percent of the beets have emerged.
Michigan - Growers in the state have buttoned up their planting and the NASS report shows 75 percent of the beets have emerged, an increase of 15 percent (from 60 percent) from a week ago and well ahead of the five-year average of 63 percent.
The report also shows that 58 percent of the beet crop is in excellent condition with another 35 percent in good condition. Seven percent is rated as fair.
Minnesota – Growers in Minnesota are also almost done with their planting with 98 percent of the crop in the ground, up from 91 percent last week. The five-year average is 75 percent while a year ago at this time 89 percent of the crop was in.
North Dakota – Across the Red River in North Dakota, sugarbeet planting stood at 97 percent, well ahead of the 73 percent average and also well ahead of the 81 percent a year ago at this time.
The crop has been rated as 90 percent excellent and 10 percent good.
Idaho – Idaho beet growers are also just about done planting with 98 percent of the crop in. Growers are a little behind where they were a year ago (100 percent) and very slightly behind the five-year average of 97 percent.
Seventy-nine percent of the beets have emerged.
Montana – The state’s sugarbeet growers have 17 percent of the crop in, which is a bit behind where they were last year (32 percent) as well as behind the five-year average of 61 percent. Growers had 10 percent of their beets planted a week ago.