• The US should produce 4.9m tonnes of beet in 2020/21, up 500k tonnes from last season, where an early freeze hurt the crop.
• Agricultural yields should also be up, as increased rainfall in the summer months aided impressive growth.
• However, the very same rainfall could weaken sucrose yields for any beet already harvested in some areas, as hot and wet weather can cause fermentation.

  US Beet Production Should Rebound in 2020/21  

• We think the US will produce 4.9m tonnes of beet this season, up 500k tonnes year-on-year, and aligned with 2018/19.

• This comes as increased levels of precipitation in the summer months enabled the beet to grow larger at a faster rate.

•  With this, agricultural yields should be up slightly year-on-year.

• However, this slight increase in agricultural yields does not translate to increase in sucrose yields.
• Sucrose yields are expected to decrease due to increased rainfall slightly reduce the sugar content of the beet.
• If the beet is carrying more water, the sugar is more diluted and the sucrose yields fall.  

• On top of this the yields could also be affected by a different weather phenomenon.
• Last year the early cold was the major talking point, but this time it the late heat wave across the Midwest.
• This is because harvested beet is often stored outside in piles, as the cold acts as a preservative.

• If it is not cold enough, fermentation may occur and weaken the beets’ sugar (sucrose) content when it is processed.
• Early November saw some particularly hot days in parts of the Midwest

• Although we don’t think the heatwaves lasted long enough to cause any substantial damage, it’s hard to be certain.
• It’s only once the centre of the pile is being processed that we will be sure of the impact (if any).

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