THUMB AREA — Apparently there can really be too much of a good thing — that’s the problem facing Michigan Sugar Company.
This year’s sugar beet crop is so good company officials may have to ask farmers not to harvest all of their crop. Of the approxmate 161,000 acres of sugar beets planted, about 8,000 acres may have to go unharvested.
“The crop is about 63 percent harvested,” said Michigan Sugar Company’s Director of Community and Government Relations Ray Van Driessche Tuesday. “We (the factories) have the capacity to handle 4.8 million tons to beets. The issue is that beets have to be handled in a timely manner. Going beyond that capacity would push (production) into April and it starts getting too warm.”
When sugar beets get too warm, they start to deteriorate beyond where they can be processed.
“We are seeing crop tonnage all over the place… some fields have as high as 40 tons per acre. I’ve heard of tonnage like that in other states, but not in Michigan,” said Van Diressche noting overall this year’s crop could average out to be around 30 tons per acre.
The company’s highest acreage record set in 2012 was 29.22 tons per acre.
“Over the next few days we will be evaluating crop tonnage and what remains to be harvested to make our decision on Friday. We will make every effort to process the crop not to leave the crop in the field,” he said.
The company has a plan in place in case it does have to leave some acres unharvested.
“They (farmers) are aware of the situation. They will be offered $5 less than if they had harvested their crop… That’s very good compensation,” said Van Diressche. “Enough (farmers) have agreed to do the voluntary set aside if it is necessary to do it.”
However, even though the crop is setting tonnage records, sugar content is average at about 17.5 percent, which is good when all things are considered.
A very cold and wet spring delayed sugar beet planting to a point where it was almost too late to plant. Normally most of the crop is planted in March with some in April; but this year most of the crop was planted in late April to early May. Despite the late start, the reset of the growing season was perfect.
“The weather wasn’t too hot and there was enough rain that was spaced out. It tells us what moisture can do — God provided the right amount of irrigation,” noted Van Diressche.
Although some of the crop might not be harvested, it will still have to be dealt with.
If some of the crop remains in the field, it will have to be disked or worked up according to Michigan Department of Agriculture guidelines.
Michigan Sugar is cooperative owned by about 900 farmers.