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August sugar beet root samples taken by Holly and Western Sugar
companies indicate a crop slightly better than last year. "We
were very pleased with how the root samples turned out - especially
the sugar and tonnage" said Jerry Darnell, senior agriculturist
at Western Sugar in Scottsbluff.
Darnell said the samples taken averaged around 5,000 plants per
acre.
"Our sugar was up about one percent from last year,"
said Darnell. "That's the best sugar we've had in the last five
years of sampling for this time of year."
Darnell said the samples averaged 11.1 percent this year,
compared to 9.8-9.9 percent this time last year.
Although the tonnage is down about a quarter ton per acre,
Darnell said he thinks it won't be too far off compared to last
year.
"I don't think this year's crop will be too bad as long as
there's no bad weather or disease outbreaks in the fields."
Rick Griffith, ag manager at Holly Sugar in Torrington, Wyo.,
indicated their samples were also good.
The tonnage averaged 19.45 tons per acre, Griffith said, which is
approximately two tons ahead of last year at the same time.
"The sugar was also better than expected," Griffith
added. It averaged 12.57 percent this year, compared to 12.5 percent
last year. "Compared to the 10-year average, the sugar
percentage is about one point ahead of normal. The tonnage is the
highest we've ever seen for the month of August."
Griffith said, "It is encouraging that the crop is
progressing and staying ahead of normal, especially after the rough
start this spring."
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