Sugar beet harvest at Harper Farms near Idahome, Idaho.

The Northwest sugar beet harvest is finishing strong, thanks to a stretch of cooperative weather.

“Favorable weather conditions with minimal precipitation have contributed to the successful harvest completion thus far,” Matt Wheeler, director of agriculture at Boise-based Amalgamated Sugar, told Capital Press. “Overall, we are pleased with the results of this year’s sugar beet harvest,” which was 80% complete Oct. 22 and showed “excellent yields, high sugar content and efficient operations.”

The cooperative’s more than 700 growers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington planted about 185,000 acres, similar to the 2023 total. Harvest completion is anticipated Nov. 9.

An estimated average yield of 40.25 tons per acre compares to a five-year average of 39.39, Wheeler said.

Harvested beets — processed at Amalgamated factories in Nampa, Twin Falls and Paul, Idaho — contain about 18% sugar by weight, according to the cooperative’s website.

“Sugar content is also excellent” as harvest proceeds, Wheeler said. It averaged 18.09% Oct. 22 and is expected to reach 18.20% by season’s end.

Harvest has gone smoothly overall, said Samantha Parrott, executive director of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association.

“We have been facing some unusually high temperatures in the afternoon that have been disrupting harvest,” she said. “Overall, though, harvest is going great and the growers are delivering an excellent crop.”

Ending the harvest day early is one way Amalgamated safeguards storability when beet temperatures rise. The cooperative ended some days early but also opened receiving stations early.

“There were times we dug more before 10 a.m. than we did the rest of the day,” said Casey Stevenson, who farms north of the Paul-Rupert, Idaho, area. He completed his harvest Oct. 16.

Starting early, “we were still able to harvest 12 hours a day most of the time, so that helped,” he said. “Overall, it was a good harvest season.”

To the east near Aberdeen, farmer Jordan Johns said his sugar beet crop turned out well despite some frost-prompted replanting.

“The crop has been really good,” with nice quality, yield and sugar content, said Johns, who had his harvest about 75% completed Oct. 21. “We’ve had a great fall, probably one of the best falls we’ve had in a long time — good weather to pull the beets in.”

During the growing season, “we were able to get warm, and we had good water to get the crop raised,” he said. “The … warm weather was good for the crop and the sugars.”

When temperature measurements show beet temperatures are climbing, crews can reduce the distance between the harvester and the defoliator ahead of it so the beet is shaded for a bit longer, Johns said.

Amalgamated also has a cold-temperature threshold that can prompt a suspension of harvest and piling.

Harvest season as of Oct. 21 “didn’t get super cold,” an advantage, Johns said.