4-24 FB Sugarbeets

What’s going on with the sugarbeet industry in Idaho?

 As we all know, sugar beets are huge in Idaho, and sugarbeet producers are out in force in their fields depending on weather so I took a minute and called Mark Duffin, long time Executive Director of the Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association for an update: “Give me an idea about how things are going.  Are we planted? Give me an idea of what is going on throughout the state. Well, they have been in the fields busy planting, I haven’t seen a recent look at the numbers but I am sure they are progressing well, it is that time of year. I know it is that time of year but last year we had trouble getting into the fields because of the wet conditions and just wondered if this year we are on schedule and the weather is behaving. Growers I have talked to it kind of depends. Some areas are too wet and some are too dry. It changes by day depending on what cloud you are under and which way the wind is blowing. I we expecting a good season? We are hoping for a good season but with the weather you take it a day at a time. What is the outlook on pricing? We are hoping for good pricing, I am not involved with the marketing but I know most growers have forward contracted for the season and the prices look like they are staying fairly strong. Not as strong as they have been that they’re still okay.