Polk County was the largest sugarbeet producing county in Minnesota in 2014 with 2.28 million tons, according to the Upper Midwest Region Office of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Polk County in the northwest region had 90,700 acres of beets harvested with yield per acre averaging 25.1 tons--the highest in the state.

Polk's production last year was down from 2013's 2.4 million tons.

Wilkin County in the west central region had the second highest production with 1.04 million tons. Wilkin County farmers harvested 48,300 acres of sugarbeets, averaging 21.6 tons per acre.

Other counties with high yields per acre were:

Second-Swift County, 25 tons

Third-Norman, 24.7 tons

Polk County continues to be top in Minnesota sugarbeet production

Fourth-Pope, 24.5 tons

Fifth (three-way tie)-Mahnomen, Stevens and Sibley, 23.4 tons

The south central district, consisting of combined counties, was the highest yielding district at 26.7 tons per acre. Only 600 acres were harvested in this region.

In 2014, three counties had published yields under 20 tons per acre. Yellow Medicine County recorded the lowest yield at 19.2 tons per acre, while Otter Tail and Kittson Counties yielded 19.4 and 19.8 tons per acre, respectively.