IFA boss defends €106m claim for beet loss

THE Irish Farmers Association (IFA) yesterday rejected what it described as an attack by Greencore chief executive David Dilger on its claim for €106 million from the EU restructuring fund to cover losses incurred by sugar beet growers.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said the assessment of the losses to growers prepared by Deloitte for the IFA was based on a very clear methodology - comparing the income of sugar beet growers pre-reform with the alternative income from the next best enterprise, wheat, in the future.

The Deloitte assessment also takes full account of the diversification fund for growers and the decoupled single payment that beet growers will receive, irrespective of beet production in the future.