Rabbitte: State can do little to find market for miscanthus growers

Energy minister Pat Rabbitte has indicated that the State can do little to progress markets for miscanthus, on which about 300 farmers depend.

The farmers have invested significantly in growing almost 6,000 acres of miscanthus, benefiting from national and EU grant aid totalling more than €4m since 2007.

However, they now fear there will be no market outlet for their harvested miscanthus crop.