ISGA Expands, Changes Name

The Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association is no more. The organization announced Tuesday is has expanded membership to the west now including Oregon and Washington growers. And with that expansion comes a new name, Snake River Sugarbeet Association, which represents 700 growers across the PNW on a combined 180,000 acres, accounting for nearly seven million tons of production.  .

“The membership expansion will allow us to represent our sugarbeet growers at the state and national levels more effectively”, said Randy Grant, President of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association. “We plan to broaden our advocacy and education efforts, and the board is excited for the future of our association.”

At a November board meeting, membership was approved for the sixth local member association, the Nyssa-Nampa Sugarbeet Growers Association. This expands the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association’s region from southern and eastern Idaho in western Idaho and across state lines into eastern Oregon and southern Washington.

"The Snake River Sugarbeet Association is named for the mighty Snake River," the organization stated Tuesdasy, "which provides irrigation water for more than three million acres in the region, including every acre of sugarbeets. The river serves as the lifeblood of agriculture and a focal point of the region’s geography.

“Joining the state association gives our growers a voice at the statehouse and will increase our relationships with legislators,” said Galen Lee, president of the Nyssa-Nampa Sugarbeet Growers Association. “Nearly 40% of Idaho’s legislative districts are in western Idaho, and we can now speak with one voice from our region through the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association.”

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