Beet Farmers Big Supercommittee Donors

Two Minnesota sugar beet farmers' cooperatives rank high among American agribusinesses giving political contributions to the congressional supercommittee charged with reducing the federal deficit, according to a new analysis.

November 15, 2011 | Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | by JIM SPENCER

WASHINGTON – Two Minnesota sugar beet farmers’ cooperatives rank high
among American agribusinesses giving political contributions to the
congressional supercommittee charged with reducing the federal deficit,
according to a new analysis.

American Crystal Sugar Co., a Moorhead, Minn.-based co-op, has
contributed $143,750 since Jan. 1 to the re-election campaigns or
political committees of supercommittee members. That ranks second in the
country for agribusinesses, the analysis found.

Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative was 16th in contributions,
having given $40,500. Another big giver with a Minnesota link was Dean
Foods, which distributes dairy products for Minnesota-based Land
O’Lakes. The company gave $70,550, the fifth-most money.