, we produce 125,000 tonnes of sugar, and that equates to eight per cent of the Canadian market,” said Gary Tokariuk, president of the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.According to Tokariuk, last year the average yield was 32 metric tonnes per acre. This year they’re forecasting 35 metric tonnes, with some farmers possibly seeing a record 40 metric tons.
“We use the beet sugar to make our distillate, so all of our vodka is made from beet sugar,” said Longacre. While the industry results were good this season, there remain some red flags shared by all southern Alberta farmers.“We’ve received two inches of rain this year in the growing season, and we applied close to 20 inches,” said Tokariuk.Dry spring and summer conditions have left both St. Mary River and Lethbridge Northern Irrigation districts low going into winter, which is a concern for next year.