The American Sugarbeet Growers Association is looking for a better safety net in the next farm bill.

ASGA president Nate Hultgren of Raymond in west-central Minnesota tells Brownfield the federal sugar program needs to be modernized.

“We’re dealing with some 1980’s-type pricing on things like loan guarantees, support prices, and it’s just not really realistic for farmers anymore to use those tools. If they’re going to have them in the farm bill, they should update them to something that will actually help farmers when they need (the help).”

He says beet growers aren’t asking for a government handout.

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