A Sweet Deal? U.S. Considers $80 Million Sugar Bailout

Mar 21, 2013

Senate Bill Amendment Targets USDA Sugar Purchases

An amendment to the Senate bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase sugar to keep prices high enough so that agricultural sugar producers don’t default on government loans.

Prices have fallen 18 per cent over the last couple of months after a bumper crop of sugar beets and cane. The government loans are worth $862 million.

Prior to the amendment, the USDA was considering buying 400,000 tons of sugar that would then be sold to U.S. ethanol plants, at an estimated cost of $80 million.

The amendment calls for cutting funding of surplus sugar purchases by the federal government.

The amendment was submitted by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.), and was co-sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R., Ariz.), Pat Toomey (R., Pa.), Mark Kirk (R. Ill.) and Kelly Ayotte (R., N.H.).

The amendment may be put to a vote and attached to the Democratic budget.

Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production