Crop Profile for Sugar Beets in Nebraska General Production Information

Nebraska was ranked 6th in the nation in sugar beet production for the 1998 growing season. A total production of 934,000 tons of beets was produced on 47,400 acres with a total production value of nearly 33 million dollars. Average production from 1995 to 1997 was 1,037,333 tons of sugar beets per year harvested from an average production area of just over 61,000 acres. The average yield across Nebraska sugar-beet production acres from 1995-1998 was 17.7 tons per acre with the value of beets at approximately $38.50 per ton. The potential yield could be as high as 30 tons per acre, but this is uncommon. Average production costs in western Nebraska are around $600 per acre with costs going as high as $950 per acre. Production Region Sugar beet production in Nebraska occurs in the west end of the state and almost entirely in the panhandle. Much of the production occurs in the North Platte valley and surrounding regions. The sugar beet producing counties ranked in order of production are as follows: Box Butte (47%), Scotts Bluf