Sugar industry rides the storms with new program.

Publication: The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2005 The Miami Herald

Byline: Jane Bussey

Oct. 31--Refineries out of service, supplies dwindling after a series of walloping hurricanes -- the situation for sugar sounds a lot like the gasoline scenario that has pushed prices to more than $3 a gallon.

But American consumers have dodged a drubbing -- so far -- when they go to buy sugar at the supermarket.

The sugar industry is hailing the price stability as a sign of the effectiveness of the government's sugar program -- which allows flexibility in alloting import quotas. The program protects consumers from abrupt price hikes in sugar by smoothing out supply.

"If our nation's oil policy worked as well as sugar policy does, we wouldn't see those price spikes at the gas pump," said Robert Coker, senior vice president of public affairs at U.S. Sugar.

But big-time sugar users -- candy, cereal and baked goods...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.