Idaho Legislature Working To Support The Sugarbeet Industry

Much like other Northwest commodities, this is a difficult time for the local sugarbeet industry.

“You know, sugar has seen a 42% price drop over the last two years," noted Samantha Parrott, Executive Director of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association.  "Our growers in the 2025 crop, they lost $500 an acre.”

Parrott said when lawmakers in Boise heard those stories during the Sugarbeet Day at the state Capitol, many asked what could be done to help the industry.  Parrott pointed out any industry change needs to come from the federal level, so in response Senate Joint Memorial 10 is making its way through the Legislature.  The Memorial urges Congress and the Administration to raise the Tier Two Duty.

“And so what that would do is make it more prohibitive or harder for this foreign sugar to come into the country that's just dumped onto the world market, that's heavily subsidized by foreign countries, it would help make it, if you raise that duty, it makes it more prohibitive and a little bit harder to bring sugar in," she said.  "Because, basically, our market's been flooded with foreign sugar, and it has depressed our price. And so the long-term fix is raising this Tier Two Duty.”

If the Memorial clears the Senate it will move to the state House.  If passed, it would be sent to Congress, the White House and USDA.

Click Here to learn more about Senate Joint Memorial 10.

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