Beet growers vow to fight EU reforms

A MAJOR campaign to protect the €140 million Irish sugar beet industry from what has been described as devastating reform proposals by the European Union will be launched this week.

Beet growers have called on the Government to fight an all-out campaign to reject the proposals which call for a 37% beet price cut by 2007 and a European quota reduction of 16% by 2008. The IFA warned that this would reduce output value to farmers by €26m, making beet growing totally uneconomic.

Sugar Beet Section chairman Jim O’Regan said growers are facing the greatest challenge ever in the history of the sugar industry.