By Geoff Smith (@smithco on Twitter)

Higher tonnage, steady content for sugar producers

Nov 28, 2016 | 10:13 AM

TABER – A successful sugar beet harvest is in the books in southern Alberta.

“We are all done harvest, the beets are out of the field and they’re currently being stored at the piling grounds before they’re being trucked to the processor for some great Alberta sugar to be made,” said Melody Garner-Skiba, executive director of Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.

“Our tonnage was up. You know, last year we had an average tonnage of around 26.77. This year we saw 28.67 tonnes per acre,” she said. “And our sugar content was pretty steady as well.”

Garner-Skiba added sugar prices are high, which is good for the local sugar beet industry.

“Because when sugar number 11 is high it costs refiners more to bring in the cane sugar from the different countries, versus using the beet sugar produced right here in southern Alberta,” she explained.

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Producers have harvested 820,000 tonnes of beets, which will work out to more than 138 million kg of sugar, according to Garner-Skiba.