I wanted to point out that while the overall farm bill was defeated in the House, at least nine members of the New York delegation voted for an important amendment to reform one of the federal government's costliest farm subsidy programs.
I am the president of Efco Products, which makes sugar — using ingredients for bakeries, ice-cream manufacturers and food service companies worldwide. Our business, based in Poughkeepsie, suffers under the high cost of the U.S. sugar program.
I want to thank Reps. Peter King, R-Long Island; Steve Israel, D-Long Island; Gregory Meeks, D-Queens; Hakeem Jeffries, D-Brooklyn; Nita Lowey, D-Westchester/Rockland; Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam; Richard Hanna, R-Utica; Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo; and Chris Collins, R-Buffalo, for supporting an amendment to reform the U.S. sugar program.
The current program forces businesses like mine and every American consumer and taxpayer to pay up to $3.5 billion in hidden taxes annually — all to provide a special interest subsidy to profitable sugar producers. While business owners like me are working hard to stay afloat without special subsidies, three big sugar companies are receiving the majority of $1.1 billion in federal sugar loans, and that's just this year.
This is more than unfair. It is stifling economic growth and we are losing New York businesses to Canada, which advertises its less restrictive sugar policy.
We need sugar reform in the farm bill. I know I can count on our delegation who voted for reform to do so again, and I urge our other elected officials to have the courage to support efforts to fix a program that only benefits a few.
Steve Effron
President
EFCO Products Inc.
Poughkeepsie