Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber is concerned about the severe financial strain in the industry. “Our costs on farm have exploded and what we’re getting paid for our sugar has ultimately decreased.” Weber said oversupply and foreign sugar imports are at the root of the problem, prompting renewed calls for policy changes in Washington. “The key to fix this long-term is to update our tier two tariff rates. Those rates were set in 1994 and haven’t been updated and I think it’s just time that we take a look at those things to prevent foreign actors from dumping their subsidized sugar onto our market.” Despite the challenges, Weber added growers remain resilient as they look ahead to the next crop year.
