“Fantastic” sugar beet crop could top last year

TABER – This year’s sugar beet crop has the potential to top last year’s record harvest, according to the agricultural superintendent for Lantic, Inc.

“All indications right now with our research harvest is that the crop yield, and sugar content and purity’s going to be really good,” Bryan Avison said in an interview Thursday, Sept. 21. Harvest was set to begin Friday at five of the sugar company’s seven receiving stations — a week later than 2016.

Despite a dry season, there was enough irrigation water, Avison explained.

“Some growers went over their allocation in their districts, but they were able to move water around to make sure their sugar beets had sufficient water,” he said.