Minn. sugar beet farmers score victory in farm bill debate
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Minnesota's sugar beet farmers were among those who scored a victory on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The House Agriculture Committee is debating amendments to this year's farm bill. One amendment would have limited government support for the domestic sugar industry by allowing more imports of foreign-made sugar.
The top Democrat on the committee, Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson, argued against the amendment arguing the sugar program has no cost to taxpayers or consumers.
"If these sugar prices came down, it wouldn't change the price of a candy bar or any of the things sugar goes into because it's a miniscule amount," Peterson said.
The amendment was overwhelmingly defeated. A similar amendment was also defeated when the Senate debated and passed its farm bill last month.
The farm bill will also expand government-subsidized crop insurance while ending direct payments to farmers.
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