Dear editor:

We can learn a lot if we study the history of any given topic. For instance, the history of sugar production shows us that in 1974 when the U.S. Sugar Act expired, the world price skyrocketed to 60 cents a pound. As a result, American consumers suffered. When it dropped to 3 cents a pound, it forced many sugar beet and cane farmers out of business, but consumers found no savings in their food prices.

To protect the taxpayers from sugar prices and the insecurity of supply, Congress in 1981 included a sugar program in the Farm Bill. It stabilized the price at a reasonable level and assured American consumers and the giant sugar users, such as candy, cereal and soft drink industries, a reliable and high-quality supply of pure natural sugar.

American farmers are one of the most efficient farmers in their practices. Keeping in mind today’s high cost of production, sugar beet farmers in irrigated areas spend between $1,300-$1,400 an acre. Costs of seed, fertilizer, equipment and preparing sugar beet fields, especially in irrigated states like Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Colorado, is expensive.

Lawmakers realized that importing subsidized and cheap sugar would push American farmers out of business. Having the sugar program is necessary to the survival of American sugar farmers in an unfair world of global sugar production. 

As I recall,  the United States had to ration our sugar supply in World War II, and it was a hard lesson to learn because we depended on foreign sugar at that time. Soon after the sugar rations, leaders of our country decided to set up a program to end the U.S.  dependency on foreign sugar. That event helped give rise to the modern day sugar industry, which is even more important today as foreign countries eye global sugar supplies to fuel ethanol programs.

Across rural America, farmers are asking Congress to pass a five-year Farm Bill.

Congress hasn’t updated the Farm Bill since 2018. Instead, lawmakers have patched together two year-long extensions with no long-term plan to update the farm safety net. These extensions do not address the current economic realities of farming and are leaving rural communities without the vital support they need to survive or the certainty they need to plan for the future.

If Congress does not pass a Farm Bill that provides a meaningful update to these policies, including U.S. sugar policy, many farmers and sugar companies across the nation will struggle to continue financing their operation.

Unfortunately, some of the sugar processing facilities are not in operation any longer. Two years ago, northeastern Montana closed and the last remaining sugar mill in Texas closed most recently. California sugar beet processing will be closing at the end of this year. This is a wake-up call that we cannot allow U.S. sugar policy to be weakened. When these facilities shut down, communities lose jobs, farmers lose a valuable part of their livelihoods and America loses domestic food production.

Tariffs also can negatively impact U.S. sugar by increasing costs for foreign buyers, reducing demand, and potentially leading to retaliatory measures from other countries.

Farm production is the backbone of our nation. Commodities are what we use for trade, aid and to keep our citizens nourished and our military strong. How long can a submarine stay under water? As long as there is safe food and nourishment for its soldiers. It is due to the efficiency of American farmers that our country is strong, healthy and the food basket of the world.

The Farm Bill has been designed to assist the American nation. Please keep in mind U.S. agriculture must be treated as one, united industry. We have to make sure all producers are treated fairly in the upcoming Farm Bill. 

Klodette Stroh

Powell

National Sugar Chairman for Women Involved in Farm Economics