SUGAR BEETS:
The Crop
CANADA'S SOURCE OF SUGAR
Sugar Beets in Alberta
Once grown nationwide, sugar beets are now cultivated in Ontario and Alberta. Ontario’s crop is exported to the U.S., which means Alberta's beets are Canada’s only source of 100% Canadian sugar.
At the heart of Alberta's industry is Canada’s last sugar beet refinery. Located in Taber, 200 farm families harvest 900,000 tonnes of sugar beets annually, which are turned into 125,000 tonnes of sugar —or nearly 2 million cups! This accounts for 8–10% of the nation’s total consumption; the rest comes from imported cane sugar, refined in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
Beyond food, sugar beets are finding new uses in plant-based proteins, renewable fuels, biopolymers, and eco-friendly road de-icing. With continued innovation, Alberta’s sugar beet industry is shaping the future and ready for expansion.
GET TO KNOW
The Sugar Beet
Composition
Sugar beets are comprised of approximately 75% water, 20% sugar, and 5% fibre, or pulp.
Growing Season
Growing from May - October, sugar beets are the first crop to be planted, and the last to be harvested.
Water Usage
Requiring approximately 20” of water throughout their growing season, all sugar beets are grown with the use of irrigation.
Colour and Shape
Sugar beets are a white, tear-shaped root plant that weigh between 3-5lbs.
Sustainability
All Albertan sugar beets have been verified as sustainably grown and produced at the FSA Silver Level.
Bi-Products
Aside from granulated and icing sugar, sugar beets are also refined into molasses, and beet pulp, a high-fibre livestock feed.
Bi-Products
Aside from granulated and icing sugar, sugar beets are also refined into molasses, and beet pulp, a high-fibre livestock feed.
Colour and Shape
Sugar beets are a white, tear-shaped root plant that weigh between 3-5lbs.
Sustainability
All Albertan sugar beets have been verified as sustainably grown and produced at the FSA Silver Level.
Composition
Sugar beets are comprised of approximately 75% water, 20% sugar, and 5% fibre, or pulp.
Growing Season
Growing from May - October, sugar beets are the first crop to be planted, and the last to be harvested,
Water Usage
Requiring approximately 20” of water throughout their growing season, all sugar beets are grown with the use of irrigation.
FROM FARM TO TABLE
Nutrition & Refining
Nutrition
Is sugar healthy? This age-old question is one best answered through an understanding of what sugar is, rather than a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
Through photosynthesis, all green plants convert sunlight into energy, producing sugar (sucrose). Whether from fruit, vegetables, honey, or table sugar, sucrose fuels the body the same way—providing 4 calories per gram or 15 calories per teaspoon.
Now, just as everything should be consumed in moderation, be assured that sugar from beets is real sugar—a natural, plant-based product with the same structure and function as any other source of sucrose.
Refining
Turning sugar beets into pure sugar follows a precise process:
-
Washing – Beets are cleaned to remove dirt and debris.
-
Slicing – They’re cut into thin strips called cossettes.
-
Boiling – Cossettes are boiled, extracting sucrose into raw juice.
-
Byproduct Use – The leftover fiber is dried and turned into livestock feed.
-
Purification – Impurities are filtered out of the juice.
-
Crystallization – The sugar is crystallized and spun in centrifuges.
-
Drying – The dried sugar is packaged and ready to ship.
BRING HOME LOCAL
How to Buy 100% Canadian Sugar
Beet sugar grown by Albertan farmers is packaged under Rogers Sugar (Lantic).
To know if your Rogers bag has locally grown beet sugar inside, look for the black factory stamp on the outside. If it begins with the numbers ‘22,’ that means it’s 100% Canadian sugar inside! Locally grown in Alberta, refined in Taber, and verified sustainable.
THE FACES BEHIND 100% CANADIAN SUGAR
Featured Growers
JASON ZEINSTRA
CASEY KOOMEN
BRIAN OBER
FRITS DEKKER
YOUR CROP INFO
Frequently Asked Questions
Not quite! While both belong to the Beta vulgaris family, sugar beets are classified as Beta vulgaris Altimus and are bred specifically for their high sugar content—about 20% of their makeup. Red beets, on the other hand, are grown for their deep color and earthy flavor. Sometimes, you might spot a stray red beet in a sugar beet field, as their seeds can look similar!
All Alberta-grown sugar beets are refined at the Rogers Sugar Factory in Taber, AB—a facility that has been turning beets into sugar since 1950.
The Rogers Sugar Factory in Taber is not open to public tours. For more information, contact Rogers (Lantic Inc). at (403) 223-3535.
If you’re in Alberta and want to grow sugar beets for production, you must register with ASBG and be allotted an annual quota. Learn more here or contact ASBG at (403) 223-1110.
Please note that sugar beets must follow a strict four-year crop rotation. Canola is not allowed, as it can host sugar beet cyst nematode, a harmful pest. Good rotational crops include wheat, beans, peas, hemp, and potatoes.Before seeding, farmers prepare the soil with deep cultivation in the fall. In spring, fields are fertilized, vibrashanked, and harrow-packed to firm up the soil before planting. The process requires the following equipment:
A cultivator, tractor, fertilizer spreader/sprayer, vibrashank cultivator, and harrow packer.
In the spring (April - May), sugar beets are planted at a depth of ¾"–1”, spaced 6 inches apart, and arranged in 22-inch rows. This even spacing helps maximize growth while allowing farm machinery to move through the field without damaging plants.
Sugar beets are have a growing period of 20–24 weeks. They are typically the first crop in the ground and the last to be harvested. In the fall, sugar beets are harvested, which happens in two stages:
1. Mini-Harvest (Early September): A small portion of beets is harvested to kickstart the factory’s processing operations. This is voluntary and lasts about 9 non-consecutive days.
2. Main Harvest (October–November): The full-scale harvest begins October 1st and continues until late October or early November, depending on the weather.
Once harvested, most sugar beets are stored in large outdoor piles at one of six receiving stations in Alberta: Coaldale, Tempest, Taber, Burdett, Vauxhall, and Enchant. The beets are gradually transported to the factory, but because they are still living plants, they must be processed by February before they begin to deteriorate.
To arrange purchases of sugar, molasses, beet pulp, and icing sugar directly from the Rogers Sugar factory, call (403) 223-3535. Please note that the factory only sells industrial-sized quantities. For household sugar, visit your local grocery store. To find 100% Canadian beet sugar, look for Rogers Sugar (Lantic Inc.). Check the black stamp on the package—if it starts with 22, it means the sugar was made from beets at the Taber factory.
Farmers are paid based on sugar content per acre. In 2021, the average payment was $52.57 per tonne, with an average yield of 31.7 tonnes per acre. However, costs like trucking ($9/tonne) and seed ($200/acre) make sugar beet farming a high-investment crop.
Yes, Alberta farmers use genetically modified (GM) sugar beet seeds that are resistant to glyphosate. This benefits the environment and consumers by:
- Reducing toxic herbicide use (glyphosate has a safer LD50 rating than caffeine!);
- Lowering water usage;
- Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions;
- Improving farm efficiency;
- Creating safer working conditions for farmworkers;
Importantly, GM technology does not affect the sugar itself. Since glyphosate binds to proteins, not carbohydrates, there is no trace of it in the final sugar product.
The refining of sugar beets results in:
-
Refined Sugar (table sugar)
-
Icing Sugar
-
Molasses
-
Beet Pulp (used as livestock feed)
Each year, Alberta’s sugar beets produce around 120,000 tonnes of sugar—which equals over 2 million cups of sugar!
-
THE FACES BEHIND 100% CANADIAN SUGAR
Featured Growers
Frits Dekker
Jason & Mandy Zeinstra
Darren Klemen
Steve Wikkerink
Jay Anderson
Kealon Friesen
Casey Koomen
Kerby Redekop
Louis Claassen
Peter Regitnig
Tom Machacek
Brady Valgerson
Wally Chontosh
Brian Ober
Kris Wolosuk
Rebecca Tokariuk
Kasper Muller
Jackie Hofsink
Gary Tokariuk
Hank Bergen-Henengouwen
Bernie Lyczewski
Mathijs Claasen
Luke Loman
Kelly Van Ham
Kevin Veenstra
Peter Pepneck
FROM FARM TO TABLE
Nutrition & Refining
Nutrition
Is sugar healthy? This age-old question is one best answered through an understanding of what sugar is, rather than a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
Through photosynthesis, all green plants convert sunlight into energy, producing sugar (sucrose). Whether from fruit, vegetables, honey, or table sugar, sucrose fuels the body the same way—providing 4 calories per gram or 15 calories per teaspoon.
Now, just as everything should be consumed in moderation, be assured that sugar from beets is real sugar—a natural, plant-based product with the same structure and function as any other source of sucrose.
Refining
Turning sugar beets into pure sugar follows a precise process:
-
Washing – Beets are cleaned to remove dirt and debris.
-
Slicing – They’re cut into thin strips called cossettes.
-
Boiling – Cossettes are boiled, extracting sucrose into raw juice.
-
Byproduct Use – The leftover fiber is dried and turned into livestock feed.
-
Purification – Impurities are filtered out of the juice.
-
Crystallization – The sugar is crystallized and spun in centrifuges.
-
Drying – The dried sugar is packaged and ready to ship.