The trend shows that we are designating fewer acres to sugar beets each year, while yields are going upward, but last season was fraught with bad weather.
Sugar area harvested and sugar per acre 1999/00 to 2011/12
- U.S. sugarbeet yields are projected downwards this year due to cold and wet weather and below-average growing conditions which led to late planting, a later-than-usual harvest, and lowered FY 2011 beet sugar production.
- As evidenced by the successively lower yield forecasts, the desired higher additional crop production did not result from the later harvest.
- The chart gives a historical perspective to the FY 2012 beet sugar forecast, showing a downward trend in area harvested since 1999/00.
- Because of the difficult planting conditions in the spring, 2011/12 planted area increased above trend as additional area was planted late to compensate for expected lower yields.
- The figure also shows an upward trend in sugar per harvested acre since 1999/00.
- The sugar yield expected in 2011/12 is far below the historical trend.
- In line with expectations, beet sugar production in September was recorded at a low level of 227,000 short tons, raw value (STRV), far below the previous 5-year average for September of 351,000 STRV.