Photo courtesy of Karen MossBeet Harvest Underway in the Magic Valley, Treasure Valley Starts Monday
Nampa--Amalgamated Sugar Company has started the 2008 sugar beet harvest in the Magic Valley and will start harvesting Treasure Valley beets on Monday weather permitting.
The season got off to a shakey start because of a cold spring. Acreage totals stand at just 123,000 acres, Amalgamated contracted for 140,000. At least 17-thousand acres were lost to frost and and continued cold ,wet weather thwarted efforts to replant beets in the affected areas.
This season beets also lost ground to wheat, corn and other money making crops, and many farmers report that fields needed to expand beet operations are almost imposible to find. Despite that, theres a giddy excitement in beets this year.
The co-op and farmers are eagerly awaiting to see how the genetically enhanced Roundup Ready impact the market. The co-op invested heavily in the new beets that have cut labor costs and weed control.
Executive Director of the Idaho Sugar Beet Association Mark Duffin told the Capitol Press that everyone's looking at the numbers.“This years Roundup Ready beets makes it interesting to see how they do with yield and sugar production.”
Meanwhile fewer beets could mean fewer bucks to pay the coop's bills and cashflow could impact contracts next year. But on the bright side sugar beet prices are up and demand should improve through 2009.
0 comments:
Post a Comment