Bid To Cut Back Federal Support For Sugar Industry Turns Sour

The U.S. Senate has rejected a 10-year push by major candy and soft drink companies to get rid of federal support for the sugar industry that keeps domestic sugar prices artificially high. The defeated amendment by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) would have been attached to a multiyear farm bill pending on the Senate floor. Because the legislation was defeated, the government will continue to provide operating loans, import restrictions and market intervention that guarantee a minimum price for sugar, “a sweet deal for sugar growers and a bad deal for consumers," Shaheen said before the vote.