The United States annually produces about 8.4 million tons (raw value) of sugar from sugarcane (46%) and sugarbeets (54%).
In 2006, about 851,000 acres of sugarcane were planted in subtropical regions of the U.S. (average cane yield of 33 tons/acre). Sugar cane processing yields sugar (sucrose; typically about 12.5% of weight), molasses (about 3 gallons per 100 lbs of raw sugar), and bagasse (the fibrous material left after processing; about 0.3 lbs per 1 lb of sugarcane). Sucrose is currently used for human consumption and molasses is currently used for food and livestock feed, but could be used as a bioenergy and bioproduct feedstock. The bagasse is currently used to produce the heat, steam, and electricity used by the sugar mills.
About 1.3 million acres of sugarbeets are harvested annually, half in Minnesota and South Dakota (average national yield of 25.8 tons/ac). Sugarbeet processing yields sugar (sucrose; 15-18% by weight), molasses (about 80 lbs/ton of sugarbeets), and pulp (about 135 lbs/ton of sugarbeets). The pulp and molasses are currently used for 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.