Commodities research firm determines American sugar producers remain among the world's most efficient.
According to an ASA news release, Martin Todd, an analyst for the commodities research firm, LMC International, told the ASA International Sweetener Symposium American sugar producers are among the most efficient in the world. In fact, U.S. sugarbeet producers were ranked the second most efficient among 40 countries.
"U.S. producers' ranking is all the more impressive because they faced two major obstacles," Todd said, commenting on developing-country cane producers. "Where wages are generally very low and environmental regulations tend to be far less stringent than in the U.S."
Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-TX), the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, also told the symposium the government has a role in providing a level playing field for agriculture. He urged the group to agree on a policy for sugar for the 2002 Farm Bill that would level the playing field in the world marketplace.
Top Mexican and U.S. negotiators also held a panel discussion at the symposium. They agreed preservation of U.S. sugar policy is the basic goal of their negotiations.