Ontario sugar beet growers have started what might be described as a sweet harvest because they are anticipating another record yield.
Mark Lumley the chair of the Ontario Sugar Beet Growers Association says harvest started a couple of weeks early even though the beets are still growing.
"We are taking them ahead of their full potential but that is so we can get the factory up and running early because the early harvest samples have indicated we've got an exceptionally large crop," he says. "The US dollar has been gaining pretty significant ground on the Canadian one and also the US sugar price is pretty good this year." He says by the time the high US prices are converted into Canadian currency most of the growers are very happy. Lumley attributes the large crop to a good supply of soil moisture this year.