WINNIPEG – Sugar beet growers will be doing some soul-searching this year as the industry comes to a crossroads.
A task force set up by Manitoba’s pro-vincial government is looking into the future of the industry. As well, a national meeting scheduled for March has been termed a “visioning meeting,” which will question the existence of the industry in Canada, says the president of the Canadian Sugar Beet Producers Association.
“We’re going right back to square one,” said Brian Anderson, a Taber, Alta., beet grower. “Is it logical? Because we want to make sure that we’re doing things that are for the right reasons.”
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Sugar beets are only grown in Manitoba and Alberta. Ontario stopped growing them more than 30 years ago and Quebec quit in 1985.
In recent years, the industry has been squeezed by international trade wars. Gerry Moore, head of the Manitoba task force, said Canadian sugar beets are among the small percentage of world production that are not covered by domestic protection policies.
“It’s very difficult to make long-range plans when you’re struggling so hard to try to keep in existence,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to beat off the alligators that are biting at our doorstep.”
Producers need to know now what the big picture is for their industry, said Ken Yuill, president of the Manitoba Sugar Beet Producers Association.
Need some security
“Our growers have to gear up. We’ve been running on used equipment, in some cases obsolete stuff…. You can’t go out and replace your equipment without an understanding that there be something in place long enough at least to get it partly paid for.”
Yuill said he’s optimistic about what the Manitoba task force will recommend. The industry is worth over $35 million per year to the province.
But he said it’s important the study be finished soon as growers will be deciding later this year on whether they’ll plant beets again. Without enough beets, the Winnipeg plant of Rogers Sugar could also face some tough times.
Moore said the task force will talk to farmers, the processor, users and trade experts. It’s important to see how comfortable farmers and Rogers are with investing more money into the industry, he added.
“We do have an industry here, but the question we’re trying to address is, is it strong?” said Moore.
