Compensation talks for sugar beet growers

Farmers were forced to turn to negotiations on compensation to secure the future of Ireland’s 3,700 beet growers under the controversial reform of the sugar industry, it emerged today.

John Dillon, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), said the emphasis of discussions in Brussels on the European Commission reform was switching to compensation as talks on the basic price for sugar beet had failed to produce results.