Insight Focus
- US beets were planted before the end of May.
- There are some concerns about beet development in Michigan.
- Beets in all other states are developing normally.
US beet plantings were normal this year. This was good news after 2022’s disrupted plantings. By 21st May this year, 95% of sugar beet had been planted, compared to just 48% in 2022.
The total area planted for sugar beet in the US for the 2023/24 crop is just below 1.2 million acres. This puts total area planted very similar to where it was last year.
Attention is now focused on weather through the middle of the year, which will help determine the eventual amount of sugar produced.
Yields for this upcoming crop are also looking very similar to last year. Sugar beet crop ratings as of July 9 were good-to-excellent. Ratings were 90% in Minnesota, 71% in North Dakota, 90% in Idaho, 90% in Wyoming and 80% in Oregon. However, there are weather concerns in Michigan, which makes up about 12% of US beet area, where the crop is rated at 50%.
In Michigan drought conditions were reported at the end of last year with the effects continuing this year. The lack of rain has led to decreasing soil moisture which could affect beet yields.
Source: Michigan Live Weather
If this weather continues, this could affect beet development and further decrease yields and beet production.
What Does This Mean for Sugar Production?
We expect 4.5m tonnes of sugar to be made from US sugar beet in the 2023/24 season. This would be in line with last years’ result. There’s a small downside risk if the situation in Michigan continues.
