Wyoming Farmers unsure of freeze impact on Sugar beets

POWELL, WY — It’s too early to know the extent of the damage that three days and nights of freezing temperatures dealt to the area’s sugar beet crop a week ago.

Snow blanketed the area Oct. 9 and shut down the sugar beet harvest. For three nights, temperatures registered from 12 to 16 degrees in areas of the Lovell Factory District.

“The freezing temperatures were bad. The beets have some damage,” said Ric Rodriguez, Heart Mountain grower and vice president of the Western Sugar Cooperative board of directors. “It will take a few days to assess the damage, meaning how long the beets will store.”

In the meantime, special handling of freeze-damaged beets has been implemented.

“We’re processing frozen beets first,” said Mark Bjornestad, senior agriculturist for Western Sugar. “We’ll leave other beets [harvested before the freeze] on the ground. They’ll be fine.”

In order to run the factory on freeze-damaged beets, a quota system on grower deliveries is required.

The quota system is still being established, Rodriguez said, but it will basically be on a ton-per-acre basis.

https://ift.tt/2OZJPnt Sugar Beet News |
via Casper Star-Tribune Online https://trib.com
October 17, 2019 at 02:52PM