By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter) with files from AS

Two year contract extension for Southern Alberta sugar beet industry

Apr 20, 2018 | 2:15 PM

TABER —   As sugar beet producers prepare for this season’s planting, some sweet news has come from Albert Sugar Beet Growers (ASBG) and Lantic Inc.
 
 ASBG President, Arnie Bergen-Henengouwen, says a two year contract extension has been signed which will provide stability for the industry.
 
“We wanted to have an extension in place, so that investment in the industry can occur from both our processor and our growers.”
 
The existing agreement between the two partners will see farmers grow 28,000 acres of sugar beets for 2018.
 
With the new agreement, farmers will also be growing sugar beets for the 2019 and 2020 cropping season as well. 
 
In addition, the contract spells out a commitment to develop a long-standing rolling contract by December 31st, 2020 to ensure continued stability and sustainability for the industry.
 
Lantic’s Taber operation is the last sugar beet processing facility in Canada, and on an annual basis, it will produce over 100,000 tonnes of sugar for domestic consumption and the export market.
 
Growers from Southern Alberta start shipping their sugar beets to piling grounds in September, where they are then delivered to the factory for the start of the processing campaign. Products from the sugar beets include; refined sugar, molasses, icing sugar, and livestock feed.