PARK CITY, Utah (Aug 4, 2009)—There’s a disconnect in the sugar market that’s led to bigger profits for food manufacturers, higher sugar prices for grocery shoppers, and tougher times for sugar farmers over the past year.

That’s according the annual Sugar Price Survey released by the American Sugar Alliance this week at the 26th International Sweetener Symposium.  The survey, issued annually, discusses price trends in America for sugar and sugar-containing products.

According to the report, the past year has seen shoppers paying more for a bag of refined sugar—from 52.5 cents per pound last July to a high of 57 cents in March 2009.  But this run-up has had nothing to do with the cost of sugar or sugar supplies.

When most people think about challenges farmers face, weather and crop prices likely come to mind. But these days, the uninformed public perception of agriculture worries farmers almost as much as market uncertainty.

That’s not just an observation—it’s what 800 Minnesota corn producers told us in a recent survey. Nearly half of the respondents identified a skewed public image as problematic—more than environmental regulations or financing availability. One farmer wrote "we need better public relations," another that "connecting with consumers must be our top priority."