Fischbach presses USDA to include Otter Tail sugarbeet growers in $1B relief

Rep. Michelle Fischbach traveled to Washington, D.C., to press U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to ensure sugarbeet producers in Minnesota receive a share of the USDA’s $1 billion supplemental relief. Fischbach framed the meeting around the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program, which the congresswoman’s office described as “designed to help row crop farmers recover from market disruptions.”

Fischbach told USDA officials that Minnesota growers are under severe financial pressure. “Our sugarbeet farmers are facing collapsing prices and skyrocketing input costs,” she said. Fischbach added that loss ratios are “averaging $500 per acre and exceeding $800 in some regions,” and urged Secretary Rollins to make certain “that the sugar industry receives its fair share of the $1 billion supplemental fund. These family-owned cooperatives are essential parts of the agriculture industry, and we cannot allow them to be left behind.”

USDA has reserved an additional $1 billion for specialty crops and sugar, and Fischbach asked that sugarbeet producers be considered under the FBA Program or similar distributions. The congresswoman announced she will continue to work with the USDA and the Trump Administration to shape how the funds are finalized and distributed and said she is committed to securing “a long-term solution that protects domestic producers from volatile global markets and foreign competition.”

The push comes as Minnesota is identified by local industry groups as the top sugarbeet producing state, with production concentrated in the Red River Valley and parts of southern Minnesota. Growers in Otter Tail County are part of that broader regional footprint and could see direct impact if the USDA designates sugarbeet producers as eligible recipients under the supplemental allocation. Local reporting and industry notices describe the situation as an economic crisis that threatens family farms and rural economies due to collapsing prices and rising production costs.

Other federal lawmakers have signaled support for stronger safety nets and relief. Senator Deb Fischer said she is “working to craft a [Farm] Bill that creates stronger safety nets, improves access to precision agriculture technologies, and improves disaster relief.” Senator Rick Scott added that “there's no time like the present” to provide relief in the Farm Bill. Representative Betty McCollum said she is “ready to fight back against deep cuts that would harm our farmers and producers who are the backbone of our food system and help keep our economy strong.” Representative Ashley Hinson emphasized Title I’s role, saying “Title I provides critical tools that we can use to protect food security and also the health of our rural communities…I am committed to elevating farmers' priorities and perspectives to craft bipartisan policies.”

For Otter Tail County residents seeking information or to raise concerns, Rep. Fischbach’s offices are listed by her congressional press release as follows: Moorhead office, 2513 8th Street S, Moorhead, MN 56560, phone (218) 422-2090; Willmar office, 2211 1st Street S, Suite 190, Willmar, MN 56201, phone (320) 403-6100; Washington office, 2229 Rayburn House.

What happens next will hinge on USDA guidance and any decisions about eligibility and allocation under the FBA Program and the broader $1 billion reservation. Fischbach has said she will continue to press for relief; growers and co-ops can expect further discussions this spring and as Farm Bill conversations resume later in the year.