WASDE Report (May 2019)
SUGAR: U.S. sugarbeet production for 2019/20 is projected at 33.556 million tons with yield forecast at 30.5 tons/acre. Slower-than-average planting progress in the Upper Midwest and Michigan has dampened prospects for significant gains in the national yield over last year and for harvesting prospects prior to October 1. Assuming average levels of beet pile shrink and slicing recovery, beet sugar production from this crop is projected at 4.943 million short tons, raw value (STRV). Beet sugar produced prior to October 1 is projected at 502,000 STRV, or about 123,000 STRV lower than the average of the 5 previous years. Beet sugar production for 2018/19 is estimated to fall to 4.910 million STRV, as the drop in August-September production is only marginally offset by a small increase in estimated slicing recovery. Beet sugar production for the new 2019/20 fiscal year is projected at 5.114 million STRV. The increase over the crop year total is due to a higher level of assumed 2020 August-September production. Cane sugar production for 2019/20 is projected at 4.001 million STRV. Small increases over 2018/19 are projected for both Florida and Texas. Louisiana production is projected to fall from the 2018/19 record to 1.800 million STRV as a lower sugarcane yield closer to trend more than offsets expected area expansion and less sugarcane used for seed.
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