EU plans devastating for sugar industry

THE EU Commission proposals for reform of the sugar regime, in their current form, would be devastating for the Irish industry at both growing and processing level, according to Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh.

As far as he is concerned, the proposals are a direct threat to the 1,000 jobs in the processing and supply industry as well as to the 3,800 farmers currently growing sugar beet. The minister said that the implication of the proposals on price and quota cuts, even allowing for consumption, would be to make sugar beet growing no longer viable in some Member States. The impact assessment conducted earlier by the Commission shows that Ireland is one of the more vulnerable countries to price reductions for sugar and sugar beet. Mr Walsh said the proposals, in their current form, are not acceptable and he will be opposing them when they come before the Council of Agriculture Ministers.