Rising pressure on sugar prices was intensified by supply disruptions in 2009, driving prices to double the long-term average. Higher production costs and growing ethanol use in Brazil set the stage for higher prices, but policy-induced production swings among Asian countries are the main source...

According to provisions of the 1990 U.S. farm bill, the export enhancement program (EEP) will continue to be an important instrument in promoting U.S. agricultural exports and in challenging subsidizing competitors, like the European Community (EC), with funding levels set at a minimum of $500...