Spreckels Sugar to Shutter Brawley Plant

Big changes are ahead for sugar beet growers in the Imperial Valley. According to The Desert Review, Spreckels Sugar Company, formerly Holly Sugar, has announced it will permanently close its Brawley processing plant on July 31, 2025. The facility, which processes beets from across the region, will operate through the current harvest season before winding down.

The factory, nearly a century old, has faced ongoing financial challenges according to The Desert Review. Despite nearly $100 million invested in modernization since 2005, Spreckels cited high production costs and falling sugar prices as reasons the operation is no longer sustainable.

In a letter to the California Beet Growers Association, the company noted that even the growers’ $1 million in proposed concessions couldn’t offset losses. The plant employs nearly 450 people.

Congressman Raul Ruiz called the news “heartbreaking” and urged stakeholders to exhaust every option to save the facility and support impacted families.

Some functions, like shipping and warehousing, will continue into late 2025 or early 2026, but this season marks the final chapter for processing in Brawley.

For the full story, visit: https://www.thedesertreview.com/agriculture/spreckels-to-close-last-sugar-beet-plant-in-california/article_205bec53-584e-423e-b2dd-6db0d345db68.html