New sugar reform offer shows no movement on beet price, says IFA

A NEW offer to break the logjam in the European Union sugar reform negotiations was tabled yesterday, but the Irish Farmers Association warned that it showed no movement on beet price.

IFA president John Dillon, speaking from Brussels, said Irish growers still are facing a beet price cut of 47%, which would make sugar production in Ireland totally unviable and would wipe out the livelihoods of 3,700 growers.

“The 10% of the restructuring fund proposed for growers is completely unacceptable and it would be absolutely untenable and indefensible for Minister Mary Coughlan to preside over €130 million of EU compensation being paid to Greencore,” he said.