September 12, 2018
SUGAR: U.S. beet sugar production for 2018/19 is projected up 235,923 short tons, raw value (STRV) to 5.343 million. The increase is based on sugarbeet area and yield forecasts made by NASS in Crop Production, on improved sugar extraction based on processor-reported field conditions heading into the harvest campaign, and on a lower projected beet pile shrink. Based on NASS sugarcane yield and area harvested and processors’ forecast area for seed, 2018/19 cane sugar production in Louisiana is increased by 4,021 STRV to 1.785 million. Projected imports from Mexico are reduced to 842,150 STRV and projected high-tier tariff imports are increased to 45,000 STRV. There are no changes to 2018/19 sugar use. Ending stocks for 2018/19 are projected at 1.687 million STRV for a stocks-to-use ratio of 13.5 percent.