La. sugarcane industry supports farm bill; against bad farm bill amendments
Louisiana's 11 raw sugar factories, its two sugar refineries and the American Sugar Cane League today joined hundreds of other agricultural interests in a broad coalition letter to Congressional members urging them to reject any farm bill amendments that could hurt America's farming families, said League president Charles Schudmak.
In addition to the League, the American Farm Bureau Federation, more than 45 farm credit banks, the National Milk Producers Federation, National Cotton Council, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Texas Corn Council and United Fresh Produce Association and dozens of other ag industry groups signed the letter against bad farm bill amendments.
Schudmak is the chief operating officer of Cora-Texas Manufacturing, a raw sugar mill in White Castle, La., which has been operating for 201 years. He said three possible farm bill amendments favored by farm bill opponents would gut crop insurance, undermine sugar policy and impose unworkable payment limits.
"Nationally, farm income has fallen 52 percent over the last few years and has created a farm recession that is now five years old. Any amendments slashing the farm safety net could jeopardize full passage on the House of Representative floor,” Schudmak said. "The worst proposed amendment from myperspective is the so-called ‘Sugar Policy Modernization Act’ and what sugarcane farmers are calling the ‘Sugar Farmer Bankruptcy Bill.’
"If the Sugar Farmer Bankruptcy Bill amendment is included in the House farm bill, we will urge the Louisiana delegation and other champions of production agriculture to actively seek the defeat of that bill.It really should be a quite simple: current United States sugar policy operates at zero cost to the taxpayer. I'd hate to see the farm bill work go back to the drawing board, if that would even be possible before the September expiration of the current farm bill. Failure to pass a farm bill before the current one expires creates uncertainty for farmers planting fall and winter crops, and that uncertainty grows as farmers meet with their bankers to arrange financing for the next year's farm cycle. I can't imagine that this uncertainty is a desirable backdrop to the campaign season ahead.”
Schudmak said Cora-Texas, Alma Plantation, Cajun Sugar Company, Enterprise Factory, Lafourche Sugars Corp., Louisiana Sugarcane Co-Operative, Lula Sugar Factory, Raceland Raw Sugar Corp., St. MarySugar Co-Op, Sterling Sugars Inc. and Westfield Sugar Factory, as well as sugar refineries ASR/Domino Sugar of Chalmette and Louisiana Sugar Refining in Gramercy, all signed the letter urging defeat of any harmful farm billamendments.
Schudmak said at the close of business May 8, nearly 300 farm groups added their opposition to poison-pill amendments attacking the vital U. S. farm safety net.
A full transcript of the May 8 letter with all the farm group signatories may be found below.
May 9, 2018
The Honorable
United States House
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman:
The undersigned organizations write to urge your strong opposition to amendments that could critically hurt farm families during House floor consideration of the farm bill.
Net farm income has fallen by 52 percent in recent years, the steepest decline since the Great Depression. Today, rural America is suffering under an agriculture recession that is entering its fifth year and farmers are struggling to deal with this challenge.
A core purpose of a farm bill at any time is to help the country’s farmers and ranchers weather factors beyond their control, including natural disasters, disease, and high and rising foreign subsidies, tariffs, and non-tariff trade barriers. This is especially true during hard economic times.
The farm bill reported by the House Agriculture Committee abides by the Committee’s commitments under the FY 2018 budget resolution and is on target to contribute more than $112 billion to deficit reduction over the next 10 years. These savings are roughly five times greater than initially pledged.
Given current economic conditions and the fiscal achievements of the farm bill, we strongly urge members not to impose even greater burdens on farmers by attaching harmful amendments during House floor consideration of the farm bill.
While a number of potentially harmful proposals have surfaced in recent weeks, three possible amendments most frequently reported on by the media propose to gut crop insurance, undermine sugar policy and impose unworkable payment limits. We oppose these and any other amendments to H.R. 2 that would harm American farmers and ranchers and jeopardize passage of the bill on the House floor. During a prolonged recession in agriculture, failure to pass a farm bill on time would undermine the financial security of America’s food, fuel, crop and fiber producers.
We respectfully urge you to avoid this outcome by rejecting all harmful amendments.
Sincerely,
Ag New Mexico, FCS, ACA
AgChoice Farm Credit
AgCountry Farm Credit Services
AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
AgHeritage Farm Credit Services
AgPreference, ACA
AgriBank, FCB
Agricultural Council of Arkansas
Agricultural Retailers Association
AgSouth Farm Credit
AgTexas
AgVantis, Inc.
AimBank
Alabama Ag Credit, ACA
Alabama Corn and Soybean Association
Alabama Cotton Commission
Alabama Farm Credit, ACA
Alabama Farmers Federation
Alabama Peanut Producers Association
Alaska Farm Bureau
Alma Plantation
Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC
Amcot
American AgCredit
American Agriculture Movement of Tennessee
American Association of Crop Insurers
American Crystal Sugar Company
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers
American Soybean Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Sugar Cane League
American Sugar Refining Company (ASR)
American Sugarbeet Growers Association
AmericanHort
ArborOne Farm Credit
Arizona Cotton Ginners Association
Arizona Cotton Growers Association
Arizona Farm Bureau Federation
Arkansas Cotton Ginners Association
Arkansas Cotton Warehouse Association
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
Arkansas Rice Federation
Arkansas Rice Growers Association
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Autauga Quality Cotton Association
Big Horn Basin Beet Growers Association
Big Horn County Sugar Beet Growers Association
Blackland Cotton and Grain Producers Association
Cajun Sugar Company
Calcot, Ltd.
California & Hawaiian Sugar Company (C&H)
California Association of Wheat Growers
California Beet Growers Association
California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association
California Rice Commission
Cape Fear Farm Credit
Capital Farm Credit
Carolina Farm Credit
Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative
Central Kentucky Ag Credit
CoBank
Colonial Farm Credit
Colorado Association of Wheat Growers
Colorado Corn
Colorado Corn Growers Association
Colorado Farm Bureau
Colorado Sorghum Association
Colorado Sugarbeet Growers Association
Compeer Financial
Connecticut Farm Bureau Association
Cooperative Network
Cora-Texas MFG. Co., Inc.
Cotton and Grain Producers of Lower Rio Grande Valley
Cotton Growers Warehouse Association
Cotton Producers of Missouri
Cotton Warehouse Association of America
Cottonseed and Feed Association
Crop Growers, LLP
Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
Crop Insurance Professionals Association
Delaware Farm Bureau
Delta Council
Domino Sugar
El Paso Valley Cotton Association
Elwyhee Beet Growers Association
Enterprise Factory (M.A. Patout & Son Ltd.)
Exotic Wildlife Association
Farm Credit Bank of Texas
Farm Credit Council
Farm Credit East
Farm Credit Illinois
Farm Credit Mid-America
Farm Credit Midsouth
Farm Credit of Central Florida
Farm Credit of New Mexico
Farm Credit of Northwest Florida, ACA
Farm Credit of the Virginias, ACA
Farm Credit of Western Kansas, ACA
Farm Credit Services of America
Farm Credit Southeast Missouri
FCS Financial, ACA
First United Bank
FJGarnier Company
Florida Cattlemen's Association
Florida Crystals Corporation
Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Florida Peanut Producers Association
Florida Sugar Cane League
Fresno Madera Farm Credit
Frontier Farm Credit
Georgia Cotton Commission
Georgia Farm Bureau Federation
Georgia Peanut Commission
Golden State Farm Credit, ACA
Great Plains Canola Association
GreenStone Farm Credit Services
GROWMARK
Idaho AgCredit, ACA
Idaho Barley Commission
Idaho Farm Bureau Federation
Idaho Grain Producers Association
Idaho Sugarbeet Growers Association
Illinois Corn Growers Association
Illinois Farm Bureau
Independent Community Bankers of America
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America
Indiana Corn Growers Association
Indiana Farm Bureau
Indiana Soybean Alliance
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Iowa Institute for Cooperatives
Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD)
Kansas Association of Wheat Growers
Kansas Cooperative Council
Kansas Corn Growers Association
Kansas Cotton Association
Kansas Farm Bureau
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association
Kansas Soybean Association
Kentucky Corn Growers Association
Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation
Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association
Lafourche Sugars Corp.
Legacy Ag, Credit, ACA
Louisiana Cotton & Grain Association
Louisiana Cotton Ginners Association
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Independent Cotton Warehouse Association
Louisiana Independent Rice Producers Association
Louisiana Land Bank, ACA
Louisiana Rice Producers Group
Louisiana Sugar Cane Co-Op., Inc.
Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC
Lula Sugar Factory
Maryland Farm Bureau
Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation
Michigan Farm Bureau
Michigan Sugar Company
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative
Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers
Minnesota Canola Council
Minnesota Corn Growers Association
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
Minnesota Soybean Growers Association
Mississippi Cotton Ginners Association
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Mississippi Land Bank, ACA
Mississippi Peanut Growers Association
Mississippi Rice Council
Mississippi Soybean Association
Missouri Corn Growers Association
Missouri Cotton Ginners Association
Missouri Farm Bureau Federation
Missouri Rice Council
Montana Farm Bureau Federation
Montana Grain Growers Association
Montana-Dakota Beet Growers Association
Moss Capital Management, Inc.
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Christmas Tree Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Cotton Ginners Association
National Cottonseed Products Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Council of Textile Organizations
National Milk Producers Federation
National Onion Association
National Peach Council
National Pecan Federation
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
NEBCO Beet Growers Association
Nebraska Corn Growers Association
Nebraska Farm Bureau
Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board
Nebraska Grain Sorghum Producers Association
Nebraska Soybean Association
Nebraska Sugarbeet Growers Association
Nebraska Wheat Growers Association
Nevada Farm Bureau Federation
New Jersey Farm Bureau
New Mexico Cotton Ginners Association
New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau
New Mexico Pecos Valley Farmers Association
New Mexico Sorghum Association
New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association
New York Farm Bureau
North Carolina Cotton Producers Association
North Carolina Farm Bureau
North Carolina Peanut Growers Association
North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association
North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
North Dakota Corn Growers Association
North Dakota Farm Bureau
North Dakota Grain Growers Association
Northern Canola Growers Association
Nyssa-Nampa Sugarbeet Growers Association
Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Ohio Soybean Association
Oklahoma Cotton Council
Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Oklahoma Sorghum Association
Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Oregon Farm Bureau Federation
Oregon Wheat Growers League
Oregonians for Food and Shelter
Palmetto AgriBusiness Council
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Premier Farm Credit
ProCot Cooperative
Raceland Raw Sugar Corp.
Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association
Rhode Island Farm Bureau Federation
Riceland Foods
Rio Grande Sugar Valley Sugar Growers
River Valley AgCredit, ACA
Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association
Select Milk Producers, Inc.
Sidney Sugars Incorporated
Society of American Florists
South Carolina Cotton Board
South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation
South Carolina Peach Council
South Dakota Corn Growers Association
South Dakota Farm Bureau
South Texas Cotton & Grain Association
Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association
Southern Cotton Ginners Association
Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.
Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative
Southern Montana Sugarbeet Growers Association
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation
Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Spreckels Sugar Company
St. Lawrence Cotton Growers Association
St. Mary Sugar Co-op. Inc.
Staple Cotton Cooperative Association
Sterling Sugars, Inc.
Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
Texas Agribusiness Insurance
Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council
Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association
Texas Corn Producers Association
Texas Cotton Ginners Association
Texas Cotton Producers, Inc.
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Credit
Texas Grain and Feed Association
Texas Rice Council
Texas Rice Producers Legislative Group
Texas Seed Trade Association
Texas Sorghum Producers
Texas Soybean Association
Texas Wheat Producers Association
Trans Pecos Cotton Association
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Sugar
U.S. Sweet Potato Council
United Dairymen of Arizona
United Fresh Produce Association
United States Beet Sugar Association
US Dry Bean Council
US Rice Producers Association
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
USA Rice Federation
Utah Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia Cotton Growers Association
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation
Virginia Grain Producers Association
Virginia Peanut Growers Association
Virginia Soybean Association
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Washington State Farm Bureau
Western AgCredit
Western Equipment Dealers Association
Western Peanut Growers Association
Western Sugar Cooperative
Westfield Sugar Factory
Wisconsin Corn Growers Association
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation
Wyoming Sugar Company, LLC
Yankee Farm Credit, ACA
