Sugarbeet Feature Stories

So Says Michigan's Richmond Brothers

     Left: Ken (left) and Mike Richmond (right) discuss the upcoming Michigan harvest with employee Todd Roestel.

     The Richmond brothers were featured in two articles in the July/August 2009 issue of The Sugarbeet Grower — "Harvest Questions? Ask the Richmonds!" and "Walking the Walk: Richmonds Produce Quality Crops."

Courtesy Kelly Sharpe / GK Technology / www.geektechforag.com

Beet Processor Ag Managers Outline Policies, Including ‘Financial Incentive’ Features for Upper Midwest Growers

   Everyone agrees “less is better” when it comes to tare dirt. Leaving dirt in the field rather than hauling it to the piling site translates into (1) a more-efficient harvest, (2) more tons of beets per load, (3) faster cooling of beet piles and fewer storage problems, (4) less dirt being trucked from the piling site to the factory, and (5) improved factory efficiency.

A Production, Trade & Consumption Overview

Both Japan and China are significant producers of beet sugar. As in the United States, beet sugar production in these two Asian nations is complemented by cane sugar. Domestic demand for sweeteners is growing in Japan and China, and — again like the United States — overall sugar use is supplemented by corn sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Since neither country is self-sufficient in sugar, both are large importers, with each averaging more than one million tons of sugar imports per year.

I had a hard time trying to decide on the best title to use on this article. I liked “What Are We Doing To Ourselves” or “If You Think The National Debt Is Going to Devastate Our Posterity, Read This.” I settled on the current title because to me it is the most correct and it is quite unusual for a government program to be so successful.