| Early harvest finished up earlier this week and regular
harvest is underway for growers raising sugar beets for Western and Holly
Sugar companies. According to Rick Griffith, ag manager at Holly Sugar, 30
growers participated in early harvest at Holly Sugar in Torrington.
"Deliveries were slow the first few days," Griffith explained,
"but picked up as the wind went down and fields dried out."
Griffith said they were pleasantly surprised at the quality of beets
they are receiving. "The yields appear to be above average and the
sugar is going up daily."
The sugar averaged 15.8 percent on Tuesday. "We're starting to see
more high 16s and some 17s in the tare lab, now," Griffith noted.
"Of the few contracts that have been completed, yields have been
above what we estimated," Griffith said. "It looks like we have
a nice crop out there." The Torrington factory started processing
sugar beets on Thursday.
Jerry Darnell, senior agriculturist at Western Sugar in Scottsbluff,
said about 30 growers from Box Butte County and the Scottsbluff area
participated in early harvest.
"Early harvest started out a little wet, but now conditions are
excellent," said Darnell. "The growers are getting the whole
beet, not breaking off the tips."
Darnell said sugars started off at 14.8 percent and have gradually
moved up to an average of 15.5 percent on Tuesday. Regular harvest started
for growers in Kimball, Dalton and the northern Panhandle today. Valley
growers will start on Monday. |