Sugar Beet Farmers Face More Struggles

The sugar beet business has seen another sour year.

But news Tuesday of low prices and delayed processing at the plant in Moses Lake was better than rumors of a situation much worse.

“We’re having our struggles as far as the plant is concerned,” said Marvin Price, general manager of the Columbia River Sugar Co. “But we’re taking steps to go forward and the plant is running head and shoulders above what it did last year.”

That’s what Price told more than 60 sugar-beet growers at their annual meeting Tuesday.

He also explained that though the plant was behind in processing the 75,000 tons of beets left from last year’s harvest, the end was in sight.

“In 15 days we’ll finish up,” he said. “And the remaining beets are storing very well.”

Unfortunately for local farmers, sugar prices