Industry
Today's Industry
In Canada, the sugar beet industry is currently contributed to by two provinces: Alberta and Ontario.
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In Alberta, 200 farm families are contracted by Rogers Sugar (Lantic) to grow 28,000 acres annually. These sugar beets produce the only source of 100% Canadian sugar, making up 8% of all sugar sold in Canada, providing 2,150 jobs, and contributing $248 million to the Canadian economy. Alberta's production is overseen by the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.
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In Ontario, farm families grow 10,000 acres of sugar beets which are exported into Michigan, USA for refining. Ontario's production is overseen by the Ontario Sugar Beet Producers Association.
Tonnes of Raw Cane Imported
Sugar Beet Acres Contracted in Alberta
Sugar Beet Acres Grown in Ontario
Today's Industry
In Canada, the sugar beet industry is currently contributed to by two provinces: Ontario and Quebec.
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In Alberta, 200 farm families are contracted by Rogers Sugar (Lantic) to grow 28,000 acres annually. These sugar beets produce the only source of 100% Canadian sugar, making up 8% of all sugar sold in Canada, providing 2,150 jobs, and contributing $248 million to the Canadian economy. Alberta's production is overseen by the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers.
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In Ontario, farm families grow 10,000 acres of sugar beets which are exported into Michigan, USA for refining. Ontario's production is overseen by the Ontario Sugar Beet Producers Association.
Tonnes of Raw Cane Imported
Sugar Beet Acres Contracted in Alberta
Sugar Beet Acres Grown in Ontario
Canadian Beets, Compared Globally
Canada is unique in the global market as it allows the import of raw cane sugar duty-free, while refined sugar imports face countervailing duties. Each year, 1.4 million tonnes of cane sugar are imported, primarily from South America, and are refined by Redpath, Lantic, and the emerging Surocan in Canada. This reliance on imported sugar has limited the growth and benefits of domestic sugar production.
Currently, 92% of the sugar sold in Canada is imported cane sugar, with only 8% being domestically produced beet sugar, grown in Alberta and processed at Canada's last remaining sugar beet factory, the Lantic/Rogers refinery in Taber. However, Canada's sugar market is growing at a stable rate of 2-3% annually, which provides significant opportunity to increase domestic production -- and this could be made possible through a Domestic Sugar Policy (DSP).
100% Canadian sugar is a verified as sustainable product. This is because Alberta's sugar beets have certified as sustainably grown and produced at the silver level by the SAI Platform's FSA, which evaluates and audits 17 areas of farm practices. This certification means growers are maintaining sustainable operations that benefit the environment, community, and economy across their entire operation.
Farmer Innovation and Investment
