Hearing of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and forestry - Comments on Sugar and CAFTA
Chambliss prepared to support CAFTA
Chairman's comments on points of U.S. Sugar Program's future:
Sugar Program: USDA will ensure operation of the sugar program is not jeopardized through the remainder of the 2002 Farm Bill.
DR-CAFTA: Assurance that the DR-CAFTA will not interfere with USDA's ability to operate the sugar program in a way that provides the full benefit to domestic growers through the reminder of the 2002 Farm Bill. If the Farm Bill import trigger is exceeded and the domestic market is adequately supplied with sugar, then the excess imported sugar up to an amount equivalent to DR-CAFTA imports be purchased by CCC and made available for conversion into ethanol.
NAFTA-Tier 2: Excess sugar above trigger and DR-CAFTA amount could be precluded entry by payment to exporters or for other non-food uses.
If the amount of sugar provided by domestic growers plus the minimum import requirement is insufficient to meet the domestic market's needs and imports sufficient to do so will exceed the Farm Bill import trigger, then those imports will be allowed and no sugar would be diverted for conversion to ethanol.
Feasibility Study: USDA will study the feasibility of converting sugar into ethanol. Data obtained from any conversion of sugar to ethanol will become a part of the study analysis. The study will be completed and submitted to the Congress not later than July 1, 2006.
Monitoring Mechanism: USDA will review all U.S. Customs, Bureau of the Census, and other import data through the year.
http://agriculture.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=239904