Guest Author
Today, Florida sugarcane growers are proud to welcome U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to South Florida.
Rollins, along with Florida leaders, is scheduled to meet with employees and participate in a roundtable discussion with Florida sugarcane farmers in Clewiston.
The visit evokes memories of Trump’s historic 2019 trip to the Glades, when he arrived aboard Marine One to view Lake Okeechobee and learn about local issues affecting American agriculture. That moment marked a defining show of support for Florida’s sugar industry, and today’s visit builds on that commitment.
Farmers are thankful that on Independence Day, Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill, which will strengthen America’s sugar industry and support the long-term sustainability of Florida’s sugarcane farms.
The bill includes key provisions, such as higher loan rates for raw cane sugar and refined beet sugar, and increased storage rates for forfeited raw sugar. These changes, although technical, are meaningful in helping to keep family farms like mine in operation as we face increasing global pressures and input costs that have risen sharply under the Joe Biden administration.
The legislation also gives Secretary Rollins new authorities to streamline beet sugar marketing allocations and respond if Mexico fails to uphold its suspension agreement. These new tools are crucial for safeguarding American growers against predatory international trade practices.
Furthermore, the legislation requires the USDA to conduct a study on refined sugar imports and establish new benchmarks for safety, quality and packaging. American food manufacturers are held to a high standard yet imports currently do not meet the same quality expectations. Foreign producers exploit the uneven playing field to flood our markets with inferior products at lower prices.
The measures included in the One Big Beautiful Bill may seem minor, but American farmers have been advocating for these changes for decades. The passage of this comprehensive legislation is a victory not only for our farms but also for the long-term sustainability of Florida agriculture.
Just this week, Secretary Rollins furthered her commitment to prioritizing American-produced sugar by announcing there will be no additional imports of specialty sugars beyond what the U.S. is already obligated to import. This is a step in the right direction from previous policies that allowed foreign countries, rather than American farmers or consumers, to dictate what’s best for our country. According to the USDA, over the last 20 years, sugar imports have doubled and producers have lost 15% of the U.S. sugar market to imports. In several recent cases, this has led to the closure of U.S. sugar mills and processing facilities.
Both Trump and Rollins have been strong advocates for American farmers, particularly those in Florida, such as sugarcane growers. The “America First Agenda” recognizes that agriculture plays a crucial role in ensuring our population has access to a safe and domestic food supply. A strong agriculture industry in America is also essential to our economy and critical to our national security.
Florida is one of the nation’s largest producers of sugarcane, and the industry has a substantial economic impact, contributing billions to the state economy and supporting thousands of jobs for hardworking Americans. Specifically, the industry generates $4.7 billion for the economy annually and supports approximately 19,000 jobs, according to an economic impact study conducted by Texas A&M University.
Our nation’s ability to grow our own food is fundamental to our overall strength and security. A nation that relies heavily on foreign countries for food essentials is vulnerable to disruptions and geopolitical pressures. Bolstering our domestic farms increases the stability of our supply as well as the strength of our nation.
We are grateful to Trump, Rollins and our allies in Congress for recognizing the value of Florida’s sugarcane industry and advancing policies to support our growers. Today’s visit is just one of the many ways our nation’s leaders are working to put America First and secure the future of American agriculture.
Keith Wedgworth is a fourth-generation farmer at Wedgeworth Farms, a 10,000-acre sugarcane and rice farm in the Everglades Agricultural Area. He also serves as President of Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau.
