He adds, Most fields south of Fairview will come back, but they will never catch up with the rest of the sugarbeet crop.

Fullmer explains that hail damage early in the season decreases tonnage, while hail later in the season hurts sugar production in the beets. Hail closer to harvest makes beets spend all their time trying to produce new leaves, rather than producing sugar, he comments. Hail at this time of year hurts tonnage. We expect to see growers who suffered hail damage fall from an average tonnage to only 1,400 to 1,600 tons per acre.

He adds, Weve already had two major weather events and we arent even into the hail season yet. Well have to wait and see what happens, but I hope this isnt a trend. These storms not only knocked out sugarbeets, but also destroyed grain and ruined the first cut of hay. Whatever was out in the fields got beaten to a pulp.

The north end of the region received more rain than the southern end of the region, but no region received too much rain. Savage and north got excellent rains, Fullmer remarks. This last storm dumped one and a half to two inches of rain on top of the four inches growers in the northern end received, so it was awhile before growers could get back into the fields.

He adds, Its not too much rain, but it did ruin a few schedules. However, all in all it was a beneficial rain.

Agriculturists have worked to estimate this years tonnage, and Fullmer expects that tonnage this growing season will not reach the average. We expect to see below normal yields this year, Fullmer says. Our average is 2,200 tons per acre, and it looks like growers will average one to two tons below normal.

Fullmer blames the spring weather conditions for the below normal tonnage estimates. We had a dry spring, we had beets that didnt germinate, and we had beets that germinated but died before they were irrigated, Fullmer notes. The winds also had a major effect on the crop.

Fullmer now points out that the next problem facing growers involves Cercospora leaf spot. Were heading into Cercospora season now, he says. Well get things set up and start monitoring for the disease the first part of July.

Fullmer also reports that the second large piler has arrived at the Sugar Valley Receiving Station in Fairview, and the two smaller pilers originally located at Fairview have moved to the Sidney pile grounds. Crews will now assemble the pilers and have them in working order in time for harvest.

Chapter 11 procedures continue to move as scheduled, and Fullmer still expects to see Holly Sugar out of Chapter 11 by the end of summer. Everything is moving according to plan, and we still expect to be out of Chapter 11 by the first of August, he remarks.