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bioweb.sungrant.org » At-a-Glance » Biomass Resources » Agricultural Resources » Existing Crops » Sugar Crops

Sugar Crops
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The United States annually produces about 8.4 million tons (raw value) of sugar from sugarcane (46%) and sugarbeets (54%).

 

Sugarcane and sugarbeet processing yields sugar and molasses (used mostly in livestock feeds), and bagasse (the fibrous material left after processing sugarcane) and pulp (the the fibrous material left after processing sugarbeets). The bagasse is currently used to produce the heat, steam, and electricity used by the sugar mills and the pulp is used in livestock feed.

 

While it is technically feasible to use sugarbeets and sugarcane to produce fuel ethanol, under the current technology and policy situation, they are higher cost feedstocks relative to corn grain.

 


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      Author:   Marie Walsh     Reviewed:  3/2007
Last Modified: 11/3/2008
  
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