Colorado sugar beet growers said they were dismayed and feared the impact of the U.S. House of Representatives’ approval this week of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, while Western cattle producers were split on their reaction.
The U.S. sugar industry has been one of CAFTA’s biggest foes over concerns that Central American sugar imports allowed under the pact will undercut the domestic sugar market.
“We don’t mind competition, but we can’t compete against child labor and lax enforcement of environmental regulations (in other countries),” said Kent Wimmer, a spokesman for the Denver-based Western Sugar Cooperative, owned by 1,300 sugar beet growers in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana.
The Denver-based U.S. Meat Export Federation said CAFTA benefits the livestock industry because it gradually eliminates tariffs on U.S. meat exports.
The meat group “is very excited about increased access CAFTA allows to this region,” chief executive Philip Seng said.
But Meeker rancher Reed Kelley of the farm advocacy group Western Organization of Resource Councils said foreign imports allowed under CAFTA will hurt Rocky Mountain farmers and ranchers. “This part of the country is not buying into this trade agenda,” he said. “We particularly object to trade policies that ignore the value of cattle and sugar beet production in our states.”
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached 303-820-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
