| Sugar production in Wyoming is expected to be slightly lower
this year. The November forecast for Wyoming's sugar beet crop indicates
production will decrease 2 percent from last year due to less acreage
harvested and a slightly lower average yield, according to Kim Faircloth
with the Wyoming Agricultural Statistics Service.
Rick Griffith said for Holly Sugar's Torrington facility, the average
yield will be about the same as last year; however, the sugar content will
be about 1 percent lower.
Griffith said this is due to various factors, including an early
freeze, some disease pressure as well as some wet conditions in October.
He added that harvest is down to the last 150 acres, but there's a
chance that those beets may not be salvageable due to the snow and the
freezing temperatures.
Griffith added that production in Torrington should be done in early
January.
Throughout Wyoming, sugar beet growers intend to harvest 56,800 acres
this year with an expected average yield of 20.7 tons per acre. Harvested
acreage is reduced this year due to the PIK program. The yield forecast is
down 0.3 ton from the October forecast. In 1999, producers harvested
57,100 acres of sugar beets in Wyoming with an average yield of 21.1 tons
per acre.
Total production in 2000 is expected to be 1.18 million tons, down 2
percent from 1999 but up 8 percent from 1998. Nationwide, sugar beet
production is forecast at 33.0 million tons from just under 1.40 million
acres. Harvested acreage is 8 percent below last year. The pro- duction
forecast is only 1 percent below last year as the forecast average yield
of 23.6 tons per acre is 1.7 tons above 1999. |