America’s Sugarbeet and Sugarcane Farm Families, Factory Workers Applaud the Strong Farm Safety Net in House Farm Bill

On behalf of America’s sugarbeet and sugarcane farm families and the factory workers from across the country represented by the American Sugar Alliance, Neil Rockstad, a Minnesota sugarbeet grower, fourth-generation farmer and President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, and Patrick Frischhertz, a Louisiana sugarcane grower and eighth-generation farmer, issued the following joint statement on the draft text release of the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024:

“As farmers, we’re proud to play a critical role in feeding America, yet high production costs, rising foreign subsidies, predatory trade practices, and often Mother Nature have conspired to make it very difficult for family farms like ours to survive. That’s why we are so grateful that the Farm Bill text released on Friday by Chairman GT Thompson provides a strong new safety net for our farm families. Chairman Thompson and his team worked tirelessly to craft the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, spending countless hours listening to the concerns of farmers and ranchers, and we commend him for his outstanding leadership.  

“We thank the House Agriculture Committee for the strengthened U.S. sugar policy contained in this bill which will help ensure that America’s 11,000 sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and our workers can continue producing an essential ingredient in our food supply, maintain resilient supply chains, and meet the needs of American families and all of our customers.  

“Our farm families need a bipartisan, bicameral, and highly effective Farm Bill. This legislation from Chairman Thompson is the first major step towards the enactment of the 2024 Farm Bill. We stand ready to work with Chairman Thompson and all congressional leaders to make this shared goal a reality this year. This effort, particularly the farm safety net features for sugarbeet and sugarcane farm families in Chairman Thompson’s bill, merits lawmakers’ strong support.”