Farm Bill In Focus In Seattle

U.S. sugar industry leaders met in Seattle, WA last week for the 39th annual International Sweetener Symposium hosted by the American Sugar Alliance.  This year’s conference was titled “Stability, Security, Safety: The Need for a Strong Farm Bill”.  National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said the Farm Bill, set to expire in October, is the foundation of agricultural policy in the U.S.

“It ensures farmers and ranchers have the resources to overcome the uncertainties of farming, like market disruptions and unpredictable weather," Larew said.  "By investing in our communities, the Farm Bill sustains the agricultural economy and supports family farms and jobs here at home. A great example of this is how sugar production in the U.S. creates more than 150,000 jobs in more than two dozen states.”
 

Joby Young, Executive Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation said in addition to creating domestic jobs, the Farm Bill helps farmers threatened by imports from other countries.

“Farm Bureau supports a sugar program that protects the interests of domestic sugar producers and allows their sugar to compete in the marketplace," Young pointed out. Working together, we can help secure a prosperous future for America’s farmers with the passage of a bipartisan five-year Farm Bill.”

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com