Idaho Sugar Beet Harvest in Full Swing But Not As Sweet

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Officials with Amalgamated Sugar Company say yields from Idaho's sugar beet crop were higher than expected, but the beets have a disappointing sugar content. The Times-News reports the sugar beet harvest is still underway in southern Idaho.

Amalgamated Sugar Company district manager Dave Scantlin says normally beets have around 15 percent sugar content at the beginning of harvest, but the beets harvested so far have been lower than the average.

Beet farmers around Twin Falls had to replant their crops earlier this year after wind and frost damaged about 12,000 acres of beets. Once beets are established, cool weather triggers the plants to produce more sugar in the root. By the end of the harvest season, the region usually reaches an average of just over 17 percent sugar content.