Alberta signs five-year deal to boost sugar beet production
Rogers Sugar Inc. and Alberta Sugar Beet Growers (ASBG) have announced a five-year agreement to supply sugar beets to the Taber refining plant, covering the 2025 to 2029 crop years.
This partnership marks an important step forward for Canada’s only sugar beet processing facility, located in Taber, Alberta.
Supported by about 200 Southern Alberta farm families, the Taber facility has been operating for nearly 75 years and produces 100% Canadian sugar. Each year, these farms supply 900,000 tonnes of sugar beets, which are refined into 125,000 tonnes of sugar—enough to fill nearly 2 million cups. This accounts for roughly 8 to 10% of Canada’s sugar consumption.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers for another five years. This agreement will help support the needs of our customers in Western Canada,” said Mike Walton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lantic Inc and Rogers Sugar Inc.
While sugar beets were once grown nationwide, today they are only cultivated in Alberta and Ontario. Ontario’s production is exported to the U.S., making Alberta’s beets Canada’s only source of fully domestic sugar.
Currently, Canada imports 1.4 million tonnes of duty-free raw cane sugar, mostly from South America. Canada is the only G& nation that does not have a domestic sugar policy, —unlike its global counterparts.
With the Canadian sugar market growing by 2–3% annually, experts see a major opportunity to increase local sugar beet production and reduce dependency on imports.
Sugar beets are also gaining attention beyond food. They are being explored for renewable fuel, plant-based protein, biodegradable plastics, and eco-friendly de-icing solutions. As innovation continues, Alberta’s sugar beet sector is poised for expansion and national significance.
Photo credit: Alberta Sugar Beet Growers