343 words / 2 minute read
- Heavy snowfall has hit North Dakota and Minnesota over the last weekend.
- Planted sugar beets can be damaged if they freeze, making them harder to process and reducing sucrose yields.
- There is little the farmers can do but wait for conditions to get better.
Snow Storms in the Northern States
- This weekend saw snow storms hit the US beet growing regions.
- The harvest has already been impeded by a wet September, so the harvest is now far behind normal pace
- Not only will the farmers be fearing more cold weather, but the thawing of snow will mean muddy fields.
- If the beet remains in the ground for much longer, harvesting will become even more difficult as the cold weather will intensify in late November.
- Overall, there are still around 750k acres to harvest (total of 1.1m).
What Impact Could It Have?
- If the beets have frozen in the snow storm, the farmers will be worried about the thawing process.
- If the thawing is too rapid, the cell walls of the beet can burst, affecting their purity and yields.
- However, snow will act as an insulator, so the beet is unlikely to have frozen during the storms.
- If the harvest’s delay lasts too long, conditions will worsen, and beet damage becomes more likely.
- We currently expect 4.7mtrv (5.18 short tons) to be produced, but this estimate could lower if these poor weather conditions persist.
- Montana has removed weight restrictions on trucks so the harvest can be accelerated.
- Overall, there is very little that can be done but wait and see when operations can resume.
- Any shortfall in the market will be covered by an increase in Mexican quota imports, so supply will be secure.
