Wet fall hurts Minn-Dak beet harvest

FARGO - For the second straight year, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative was hurt by a wet October.

This year’s crop was again “a challenging one,” said Dave Roche, Minn-Dak president and chief executive officer.

The Wahpeton, N.D.-based sugar beet cooperative held its annual meeting today in Fargo.

Minn-Dak harvested 85 percent of its planted acres this year, up from 70 percent a year ago, when conditions were even wetter.

But the sugar content of the beets dropped sharply, and Minn-Dak estimates that payments to shareholders will fall to $80 million in crop year 2009, down from $96 million in 2008 and $111 million in 2007.

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