Odds lengthen on reprieve for sugar factory

SUGAR beet farmers in the south have been disappointed in their efforts to secure an alternative use for the Mallow sugar plant due to close on Friday.

Efforts by the political parties have failed to generate much support to have the plant used to produce bio ethanol from sugar.

Central to the debate is the position of Greencore. It stands to get up to €135 million in compensation from the EU for giving up its sugar quota and will not want anything to stop that from happening.