Graves Leads Congressional Effort Defending US Sugarcane Farmers

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves is asking the Biden Administration to prioritize the U.S. sugarcane farmers over foreign sugar supplies. Graves’ ask to rely on American sugarcane farms comes as the Biden Administration is being pushed to increase imports of foreign sugar.

“Agriculture is a critical part of Louisiana’s economy and sugarcane in particular results in $3 billion annually in economic value and supports 16,000 direct and indirect jobs. But when other countries illegally subsidize their sugarcane production and undercut prices in the United States – this is salt in the wound for our local farmers that are already struggling through the crippling prices of fuel, fertilizer, transportation, and labor. We are asking the Biden Administration to ensure the United States doesn’t allow subsidized, foreign sugarcane to enter our markets and further undermine Louisiana’s sugarcane farmers,” Graves said.

The letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, can be found here.