U.S. sugar beet farmers are expected to reap a record harvest next year, undeterred by a trend among some food manufacturers to favor their competitor, cane sugar that's not genetically modified (non-GMO), the government forecast on Tuesday.
In its first estimate for the upcoming season that starts on Oct. 1, U.S. farmers will harvest 5.09 million short tons (4.62 million tonnes) of sugar from beet, an all-time high and up slightly from 5.06 million tons, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast on Tuesday and data since 1959/1960.
The estimate indicates that beet farmers are remaining resolute even as food manufacturers shun GMO crops like their beet sugar. Next year's rising beet production coincides with a 5-percent drop in cane production to 3.62 million tons due to the closing of a cane mill in Hawaii.