Factories gear up for beet processing

THE annual beet processing campaign at the Irish Sugar factories in Carlow and Mallow will begin next week.

Beet deliveries from 3,800 growers are about to start and the campaign is expected to be concluded before the end of the year.

Up to 240 hauliers will transport 1.3 million tonnes of beet to the factories to manufacture Ireland’s quota of 195,000 tonnes of sugar.

Irish Sugar’s 450 staff, plus 200 temporary workers, will work on the three-month processing campaign round-the-clock.

The beet crop is worth an estimated 75 million to growers.

Irish Sugar chief executive Dr Sean Brady said the sugar beet crop grew exceptionally well during the summer.

A small number of crops, on lighter soils, have been adversely affected by the dry conditions.

“Rain in the second week of September and further expected rain should help alleviate the problem. Prospects for the crop are above average at this stage,” he said.

“We would ask growers to be vigilant and make every effort to deliver a clean crop. This will help reduce both transport and processing costs for both processor and grower,” he added.