| Beets left out in the cold |
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| Local Content - Local Agriculture |
| Written by Garrett Simmons |
| Thursday, 03 December 2009 15:46 |
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Mother Nature has put an end to the 2009 sugar beet harvest. With 5,000 acres of beets still left in southern Alberta fields, the cold and snow has forced farmers out of the fields. “There’s not much we can do about it,” said Andrew Llewelyn-Jones, agricultural superintendent for Lantic Sugar Inc. “We’ve worked with crop insurance and rejected some fields due to quality.” He added some fields were approved for harvest, as the quality was just good enough, as harvest work was still on going Monday. “We’re still trying to get the last few beets in,” Lleweyln-Jones said late Monday morning. “We’re open at a few stations today but it looks like with the cold, this will be the last day.” The forecast called for temperatures ranging from a high of minus three Thursday to a low of minus 16 on Saturday, with more snow for southern Alberta Friday and Saturday. With unpredictable weather throughout almost the entire growing season and into harvest, 2009 will go down as a peculiar year for the sugar factory and growers. “It’s very unusual,” said Llewelyn-Jones. “I don’t think we’ve ever left that many acres in the field in the time that I’ve been here, and I’ve been here quite a few years now.” He added the sugar factory is expected to wrap up operations by the second or third week of January. |