Crystal payment for 2010 sugar beets is a record

FARGO, N.D. -- American Crystal Sugar Co. says the final average payment for the 2010 sugar beet crop in the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota is a record.

Agweek, a Forum Communications Co. publication, reports that the final payment of $73.02 per ton eclipses the 1974 mark of $57.14 per ton. American Crystal says the higher payments to growers are buoyed by strong sugar prices and good sugar content in the beets.

The 2009 crop payment was $52.87 per ton. The payment for the 2011 crop is projected at $59 per ton.