Wyoming Sugar Asking for Emergency Declaration
Written by Andrew-Rossi on March 24, 2017
The Wyoming Business Council board of directors will consider a request from Wyoming Sugar Company for an economic emergency declaration.
The cooperative is also asking for $5.6 million dollars in loans during the special call-in meeting that will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 30.
The request follows intense fall rains and a hard winter freeze stretching from December through February, that has been responsible for devastating the grower-owned cooperative’s sugar beet harvest. Wyoming Sugar’s situation did not qualify for emergency financial aid from the United States Department of Agriculture or the Farm Service Agency.
Wyoming Sugar is owned by 38 growers representing about 60 families in Fremont, Big Horn, Park and Washakie counties. If the board designates a disaster area, each beet producer would need to complete a loan application by May 15th. Staff will analyze each 10-year loan, which will include 3.5 percent in annual interest.
Since 2000, the Business Council has provided 123 alfalfa, bean and beet growers over $6 million dollars in economic disaster loans.