Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1465114
WWW.SUGARPRODUCER.COM 19 The message has been sent loud and clear to policymakers: Input costs have significantly increased, and policy safety nets have not kept up with costs. industry. What will sanctions do to their ability to produce, process and deliver sugar to their people? All these factors and more will impact the global market. Only time will tell how much. From a trade perspective, we watch how the primary trade and economic sanctions impact the Russian economy. But we also monitor any secondary trade sanctions for countries who aid and support Russian aggression (potentially China). Trade agreements and rules go out the window when fighting against a regime that must be stopped to avoid it spreading to neighboring former Soviet states. On the political front, the primary season has begun in earnest. It will run through September as incumbents and challengers jockey in newly drawn districts. Those who prevail will face off in the November elections. What March Madness is to college basketball, political primaries are to general elections in November. Over the coming months, we will be meeting with lots of members of Congress and candidates in open seats where incumbents have retired. The good news is that the American sugar market remains stable and good. We now must monitor the crop with concerns about adequate water in the West to get this crop to maturity. We need another good year to offset the increased costs. The American Sugar Alliance's International Sweetener Symposium will be held in Vail, Colorado, from July 31 to Aug. 2. This will be the first time in two years that industry leaders will come together in person to engage on key issues in preparation for next year's farm bill. Sugarbeet and cane grower leaders, processors and many suppliers will reconnect and gain insights to both the challenges and opportunities before us in writing the next farm bill, as well as the other issues noted in this article. For more details about the meeting, visit www.americansugaralliance.org. n