Little Irish sugar faces downgrading

JUST 1,700 tonnes of Ireland’s sugar production quota of 199,208 tonnes is expected to be downgraded, as the EU declassifies 206,646 tonnes of sugar across Europe from A and B quotas to the C surplus quota, said Jim O’Regan, chairman of IFA’s sugar beet section, after a meeting with Irish Sugar.

He also announced agreement with the company on an on-account price of 45 per tonne at 16% sugar for all contract beet delivered this year.

This price will be reviewed in November in light of the yield of the crop and the sugar content. "In addition, an extraction efficiency payment of 0.40 will be paid this year if the extraction rate exceeds 93.6%, " said Mr O'Regan. Deliveries up to and including Saturday, October 4 will qualify for the Early Delivery Allowance of 1.83 per tonne.