I very happily voted for passage of a Farm Bill that I feel satisfies the needs of farmers, producers, and consumers, not just in my home state of Louisiana, but in all parts of rural America.
I come from a long line of sugarcane farmers in south Louisiana; my great-grandfather and grandfather were sugarcane farmers, and I grew up working at a sugar mill my father managed in Napoleonville, Louisiana, a small town in the heart of sugarcane country where I and my family still live.
As co-chairman of the House Sugar Caucus, and former President of the American Sugarcane League, sugar policy has always been a big part of my personal and professional life. Therefore, I am especially happy that the Farm Bill passed by the House includes a provision increasing the loan rate for sugar growers for the first time in over 20 years. The bill increases the loan rate for raw cane sugar a half cent, to 18.5 cents/lb., which will help sugar growers by slightly increasing the market price for their crops without affecting consumer costs.
In a state where sugar is a $1.7 billion industry and employs more than 27,000 people, inclusion of a sound sugar policy in the Farm Bill was a mighty victory for Louisiana. And in a country where sugar-containing products account for more than 70% of all food manufacturing in the U.S., domestic sugar production and prices are necessary for our nation’s food security.