Early harvest has begun for Michigan Sugar Company. All four factories are open and processing sugar beets.
Jim Ruhlman, executive vice president of Michigan Sugar Company, said expectations have been slightly tempered.
“The cold, wet spring hampered us a little bit, a then we had some dry weather here in midsummer and August,” said Ruhlman. “We’re going to be a little bit shorter on tones than we thought. I think we’re going to be around 27 tons per acre yield, which we earmark more of a 30 ton yield when we enter the season.”
There’s roughly 154,000 acres of sugar beets, and Michigan Sugar Company will take 25% of the crop between now and piling, which will start in late October.
