| TWIN FALLS -- The 2000 early dig is stacking up nicely
against the '99 season, which beat all records for sugar content and also
had high tonnage in fields that hadn't been hit by a June frost. But it's
no surprise. Amalgamated Ag Manager Leoanard Kerbs was predicting an
excellent crop after he verified the core temperatures for 2000 were
almost the same as those of '99.
Dietrich has been finished with early dig for over a week and saw
tonnage in the mid-20s with sugar content in the mid-16s, fieldman Dave
Chestnut said.
The upper-Snake River area around Aberdeen averaged in the high 20s
with sugar content in the mid-16s, fieldman Carl Lux said.
That area was hit by some hard frost a few weeks ago in the low 20s --
an event that might have stopped the development of more sugar content.
"It was low enough to hurt some beets -- in certain fields where
the water was going that night," Lux said. "There were a few
cold spots cold enough to affect sugar content, but for the most part, I
think we're OK," Lux said.
In the Treasure Valley, on the west end of Amalgamated territory, early
dig didn't start until Oct. 2.
Clark Millard, ag manager for the Elwyhee and Nampa districts, said the
tonnage is coming out on average between 31 and 32 tons with good sugar
content.
"Sugar looks pretty darn good," Millard said. "Looks
like we're better than 16."
The longer growing season in the Treasure Valley gives higher tonnage,
Millard said. |