CHAFFEE, N.D.—Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said the U.S. sugar program faces vocal opposition moving forward into the next farm bill, but that development of new safety net policies for sugar and other commodities will depend on who is president and who controls Congress.
During the congressional break Aug. 22, Heitkamp talked about the future of the sugar program at a farm shop meeting in Chaffee, N.D., at the farm of Andy and Julie Levos, who farm with their son, Brett.
Brett, 24, said he’s anxious to know that sugar policy can be developed that allows his business to thrive through his career. His biggest concern? “Right now, it’s Mexico, and how much sugar they’re importing,” Levos said. “That they’re bringing in sugar that’s over their quota, and it’s affecting the pricing.”
Levos, who grows 750 acres of beets, says with the loss of genetically-modified organism sugarbeets—Roundup Ready beets—his farm would probably cut its beet acres, perhaps in half.
Heitkamp said the U.S. must be vigilant in enforcing trade agreements with Mexico on sugar. “They’re looking for ways to sneak stuff in,” she said. “There’s no better way to say it. We caught them. We took it to an independent tribunal and they said, guess what, you’re right. We think they’re finding another way to cheat.”
Liquid loot
A member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Heitkamp said there have been indications for the past month that the Mexicans now may be moving in some liquid sugar in violation of that agreement. The Obama administration is pushing back and trying to get more information and is trying to plug the holes.
Source: www.prairiebusinessmagazine.com