The remarks were made by Ray VanDriessche, president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, appearing as a panelist on a session devoted to ``Sugar Policy -- Short-Term Challenges and Long-Term Solutions'' at the annual Symposium, sponsored by the American Sugar Alliance.

``First, we must stop quota circumvention,'' VanDriessche said. ``Unless tariff rate quota circumvention schemes -- such as stuffed molasses and other syrups for desugarization and the gaming of the re-export program and subsidized surplus sugar from Mexico -- are addressed, no sugar program will work and no domestic industry can be sustained,'' he said.

``Second, we must not negotiate trade agreements that will oversupply the market,'' VanDriessche said. ``We are already the fourth-largest importer of sugar in the world. If, through trade negotiations, access is granted beyond the needs of our market, then, once again, no program will work and no industry can be sustained.''

As for trade agreements, VanDriessche said sugar should not be part of any bilateral or regional agreement because the problems in sugar are global and must, therefore, be addressed in a multilateral context. He said, ``Making concessions in regional trade agreements undermines a country's leverage to negotiate at the WTO.''

Third, the industry needs to increase demand and defend the use of sugar as part of a well-balanced diet.

Fourth, supply and demand must be in balance, he said. ``Once our quota circumvention problems are addressed, the industry must balance supplies with demand ... . This is the proposal we have put forth to the Congress, and we are confident that the Congress will embrace this policy,'' VanDriessche said.

Fifth, the industry must strive to increase efficiency even more, he said, noting that the beet industry is in its final phase of a transition from a stock company-oriented industry to being dominated by farmer-owned cooperatives.

Appearing on the panel with VanDriessche were James Terrill, executive vice president, U.S. Sugar Corporation; Tim Hume, president-elect, National Corn Growers Association; and Sarah Fogarty, director of international trade, Grocery Manufacturers of America.

The American Sugar Alliance is a national coalition of growers, processors and refiners of sugarbeets, sugarcane and corn for sweetener.

For more information about U.S. sugar policy visit American Sugar Alliance at http://www.sugaralliance.org .