12/07/05 Sugar imports to US to increase

PENN "This has been a very unusual year for the sugar market." Indeed, remember the battle that sugar producers put up over CAFTA, the Central America Free Trade Agreement. Idaho sugarbeet growers have to wake up each day wondering what's next. Here is next. Undersecretary of Agriculture JD Penn says is such an unusual year that USDA will increase the amount of sugar that can be imported into the US without penalty. The increase is for 450 thousand tons, 150 thousand of refined sugar, 300 thousand in raw sugar. Penn says there are long and short term concerns that have to be met in the wake of hurricanes, bad weather in the upper Midwest and. PENN "In the short term here with refineries down we had a much tighter refined sugar market than we did a raw sugar market. Now all the refineries are working flat out to keep the market supplied with refined sugar and we're trying to make sure we have enough raw sugar to supply those refineries." Right after Hurricane Katrina USDA did allow companies like Amalgamated Sugar to sell of some of the thousands of tons of sugar that they are required to keep in reserve. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott