Negotiations over the 2015 sugar beet crop are in a critical stage today.
Alberta Sugar Beet Growers and Lantic Sugar have yet to sign an agreement even though sugar beet seeding would ordinarily be well under way by now in southern Alberta.
Gerald Third, executive director of the ASBG, said today that four outstanding items remain to be settled: number of acres, price, the bonus arrangement and issues surrounding a closure clause of the Taber sugar plant.
Third was reluctant to go into further detail with negotiations underway.
Read Also
Alberta Crop Report: Two sides of the same weather coin
Wet weather in the northern half of Alberta and dry weather in the south delayed harvest across the province during the week ended Aug. 19, 2025.
He said discussions with Lantic are amicable. However, he added both sides are exploring arbitration as a potential solution to the impasse. Contract discussions have been underway since February.
“Both sides want a deal,” said Third, but growers want more than the one-year agreement that has been suggested by Lantic.
Delayed sugar beet planting affects potential yield, with estimates of a 1.4 percent yield loss for every day of delay.
However, Third said growers are willing to “wait it out” to get a favourable agreement.
Last year, Alberta growers contracted 22,000 acres of beets, down from 24,000 the year before and 30,000 acres in 2012.
The reduction in acres just before last year’s planting season came as a surprise to growers.
Lantic Sugar said the reduction was due to the loss of sugar sales to a major bottler and worries about international trade disputes that could affect future sales.
Alberta Sugar Beet Growers is one of seven agricultural marketing boards overseen by the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council. Third said the council has been contacted regarding the negotiations but there is a question about the extent of its involvement given the provincial election now under way.
Contact barb.glen@producer.com
