{
  "id": "RL34103",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL34103",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 354669,
      "date": "2009-01-30",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:48:34.833193",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2008 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "Congress reauthorized the sugar price support program with some changes in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, the enacted 2008 farm bill). The sugar program is designed to guarantee the price received by sugar crop growers and processors and is intended to operate at \u201cno cost\u201d to the U.S. Treasury. To accomplish this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) controls supply by limiting the amount of sugar that processors can sell domestically under \u201cmarketing allotments\u201d and restricts imports. At the same time, USDA seeks to ensure that supplies of sugar are adequate to meet domestic demand. \u201cNo cost\u201d is achieved if USDA applies these tools in a way that maintains market prices above minimum price support levels.\nSince January 1, 2008, sugar imports from Mexico no longer face quotas or duties under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Other imports are allowed entry under quotas found in other free trade agreements (FTAs). To address the potential for a U.S. sugar surplus caused by additional imports under these trade agreements, the enacted farm bill mandates a sugar-for-ethanol program. USDA is now required to purchase as much U.S.-produced sugar as necessary to maintain market prices above support levels, to be sold to bioenergy producers for processing into ethanol. Funding is open-ended for this program. Other provisions increase the minimum guaranteed prices for raw sugar and refined beet sugar by 4% to 5%, mandate an 85% market share for the U.S. sugar production sector, and remove certain discretionary authority that USDA exercises to administer import quotas.\nThe enacted sugar provisions reflect the proposal presented to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees by producers of sugar beets and sugarcane and the processors of these crops. They favored continuing the structure of the current sugar price support program but sought changes to enhance their position in the U.S. marketplace. Their sugar-for-ethanol provisions ensure that the prospect of imports adding to U.S. sugar supplies under any future trade agreements will not undermine the program\u2019s price guarantee and the sugar industry\u2019s market share. Food and beverage manufacturers that use sugar opposed the proposed program\u2019s provisions, arguing that costs to consumers will increase and that new requirements will restrict the flow of sugar for food use in the domestic market. The Bush Administration opposed these provisions, with the President identifying them as one reason why he vetoed the farm bill.\nUSDA has continued to estimate a tight domestic sugar supply in FY2009 largely due to reduced beet production. Its import quota decisions made to date and its estimate of sugar expected to enter from Mexico and other FTA partners do not point to a sugar surplus. As a result, USDA announced in September 2008 that the sugar-for-ethanol program will not be implemented this year. Attention now turns to how USDA will implement newly enacted rules dealing with the timing of additional raw cane sugar versus refined sugar imports, because of the implications for market prices.\nFor background information on the sugar program and a review of more recent developments, please see CRS Report R40995, Sugar Policy Issues, by Remy Jurenas.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL34103",
          "sha1": "eff0376e219c91bfe14bde2fa7e3fb38cfbef608",
          "filename": "files/20090130_RL34103_eff0376e219c91bfe14bde2fa7e3fb38cfbef608.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL34103",
          "sha1": "fa8b604687b44aa285e8420b1446d22d844b076d",
          "filename": "files/20090130_RL34103_fa8b604687b44aa285e8420b1446d22d844b076d.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc94110/",
      "id": "RL34103_2008Sep12",
      "date": "2008-09-12",
      "retrieved": "2012-07-24T12:39:36",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2008 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "This report discusses the provisions for sugar imports and the sugar price support program, which was reauthorized with some changes in the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act).  It includes an overview of the sugar program as well as a breakdown of the issues from the 2008 farm bill including the level of sugar price support, controlling the sugar supply to protect sugar prices, sugar for ethanol, ang sugar program cuts.  There is also an appendix comparing the 2008 farm bill provisions with previous legislation.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080912_RL34103_6c91f8d9e1810ed43bb9c07f195e5879f7c53040.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080912_RL34103_6c91f8d9e1810ed43bb9c07f195e5879f7c53040.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural production",
          "name": "Agricultural production"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Sugar",
          "name": "Sugar"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Sugar law and legislation",
          "name": "Sugar law and legislation"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc103210/",
      "id": "RL34103_2008May15",
      "date": "2008-05-15",
      "retrieved": "2012-09-19T20:16:14",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": "This report discusses the sugar policy which is designed to guarantee the price received by sugar crop growers and processors and to operate at \u201cno cost\u201d to the U.S. Treasury.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080515_RL34103_6784f8ed74f4d99af0e86a8541549c9f00650db8.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080515_RL34103_6784f8ed74f4d99af0e86a8541549c9f00650db8.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural policies",
          "name": "Agricultural policies"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural prices",
          "name": "Agricultural prices"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Sugar law and legislation",
          "name": "Sugar law and legislation"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807040/",
      "id": "RL34103_2008Jan24",
      "date": "2008-01-24",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080124_RL34103_5ab0281bc4f6ef4c2c64c46b2392d5ba35459e6d.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080124_RL34103_5ab0281bc4f6ef4c2c64c46b2392d5ba35459e6d.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819541/",
      "id": "RL34103_2007Aug13",
      "date": "2007-08-13",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20070813_RL34103_962d44f06a8cd9ebd88b4ad082aa1c34d947b8e0.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20070813_RL34103_962d44f06a8cd9ebd88b4ad082aa1c34d947b8e0.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817921/",
      "id": "RL34103_2007Jul25",
      "date": "2007-07-25",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Sugar Policy and the 2007 Farm Bill",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20070725_RL34103_0e6916aebb95d95b41643618ddf21d6c605ef29b.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20070725_RL34103_0e6916aebb95d95b41643618ddf21d6c605ef29b.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Economic Policy"
  ]
}