Sidney Sugars has been having a very successful season. “Everything has been going really good. The processing of beets is going well, and the factory has been running good, so we are extremely happy with what has been going on so far,” added Duane Peters, Sidney Sugars Incorporated Agricultural Manager.
Throughout the year, the company has welcomed a new chief operating officer, inducted two farmers into the 20/20 club, and has seen higher than average sugar content with harvested beets.
In July, Steve Rosenau obtained the position of Sidney Sugars Incorporated Chief Operating Officer. Through his new position, he oversees all agriculture and factory operations and grower-related activities at Sidney Sugars Inc. He has been with the company for almost 26 years and is looking forward to more years as the Chief Operating Officer.
Rosenau hopes to focus on the operation of the facility and make it as successful as possible. He said, “I am starting from ground zero, so there is quite a bit to learn, so that is what I am diving into, and I’ll spend the next year getting a take on where things are at and establishing relationships with area growers.”
In addition to this, Bryce Jorgensen and the Mortensen Farm Partnership were inducted into the Sidney Sugars 20/20 club.
Bryce Jorgensen, Savage, averaged 29 tons per acre and 20.09% sugar. “I was very pleased that I made it in the 20/20 club. sugar beet farming is a risky business and profit margins are getting tighter every year so there is more pressure to grow a good crop these days,” stated Jorgensen.
The Mortensen Farm Partnership, Buford, ND, averaged 26 tons per acre and a district high of 20.17% sugar over 850 acres. “I feel really honored and really surprised - to have that good of sugar content over that many acres is a huge blessing and really is somewhat of a miracle,” said Joe Mortensen.
A member has not been inducted into the club since 2015. To qualify for this exclusive club, a sugar beet producer must average over 20 tons per acre and 20% sugar for the entire crop. “This is an elite group of growers,” stated Peters.
Many MonDak Area sugarbeet growers have been seeing exceptionally high sugar content this year. Peters explained that the sugar content of the harvested beets were significantly higher than average. “At the beginning of harvest, sugars were running from 17-20%, which is very good for the start of harvest. Some areas have had over 20% sugars,” said Peters.
These high sugar levels are mainly due to the frost /freeze the area had at the beginning of September, this helped increase the sugar content of the harvested beets.
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