Sugarbeets

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     Freddi Abatti Companies grow and harvest Sugarbeets on a contract basis for one of the remaining Sugar refining companies in the United States, Spreckels Sugar Company. 

     In the Imperial Valley, CA, Sugarbeets are planted in September, and harvested April through the 1st week of August. Because of the excessive heat during the summer months, the Spreckels Sugar Company factory located on Keystone Road, Brawley, operates 24 hours, 7 days per week to process the 1,000’s of acres within the 4-month harvest period. 

Besides the crystalized white sugar, molasses is that part of the sugar that could not crystalize. Molasses is used as a principal product in the manufacture of yeast for fermentation processes. It is also used as an animal feed ingredient.  

     Beet Pulp residue left after the sugar is extracted from the Sugarbeet roots is dried and used for as a major ingredient for dairy feed in California and Arizona. The beet tops are plowed into the soil after harvest to enrich the soil.

     We are glad to grow Sugarbeets for Spreckels as it is a good rotation crop for our crop mix, even in a highly competitive global market.