Lobbyists for and against a federal sugar program are preparing for a bitter floor fight over the farm bill. Industries that use sugar in their products are sending lobbyists to Capitol Hill to brief aides on legislation that would reform price and trade protections for the domestic crop. Sugar producers are countering with a massive ad blitz that takes aim at “Big Candy’s Greed.”
Both sides in the subsidy debate say U.S. jobs — and the very survival of their industries — are at stake.
“We are not trying to put the [sugar] growers out of business. We are trying to have our own businesses survive,” said Liz Clark, the vice president of government affairs for the National Confectioners Association, which includes brands like Hershey, Mars Chocolate, Wrigley and Jelly Belly.
Candy companies argue federal support for sugar is distorting the market and trade deals, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, while driving up prices. They plan to lobby for big policy changes in this year’s farm bill…… “Absent U.S. sugar policy, we would be essentially wiped out by foreign suppliers who are not necessarily more efficient than us but are much more heavily subsidized than us,” said Jack Roney, director of economics and policy analysis at the American Sugar Alliance. “We are on the ropes considering how low our prices have gone down.” ....To Read More....
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