Sugar reform opposed by 10 of 25 EU members

AGRICULTURE ministers from Ireland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia told EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel this week that her sugar plan would cost thousands of jobs and devastate farmers and processors.

Sugar production is likely to cease in the 10 countries under the EU plan to slash price guarantees by a third and trim production quotas.

Net exporters, and the member states which cause the EU quota to be exceeded would be hit hardest.