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Michigan sugarbeet growers prepare for lower yields

Michigan Sugar started early harvest this week, three weeks behind normal because of expected lower yields.

Executive Vice President Jim Ruhlman tells Brownfield even with the late start to planting, the crop had a decent start this year, but a dry August has set back yields.

“In the ag community, the financial stress is there, and our growers did a really, really nice job in nurturing this crop but the yield just isn’t there.”       

He says more rain could help later harvested crops.

“We are really, really dry and desperately need some rain.  Quite actually, if we get rain today or in the next couple of weeks, it will still do us some good.”       

Michigan Sugar farmer members planted 154,000 acres this year, 3,000 less than intended because of the wet spring.  Early harvest samples averaged more than 19 tons per acre, down from more than 23 tons last year.