Interest high in sugar beet revival

MAJOR sugar processors such as British Sugar and Südzucker have expressed interest in Beet Ireland’s attempts to restart sugar beet processing in Ireland.

However, active Irish beet growers must have a 30% controlling share in the industry, insists the Beet Ireland group bidding to relaunch processing. At public information meetings next week, Beet Ireland representatives will also tell farmers that finding the €400 million investment needed to restore the industry in Ireland will not present a problem.

They will report considerable progress towards reaching their goal, including successful talks with banks to put in place centrally organised lending to prospective farmer shareholders, and arrangements for long term loan repayment deductions from their beet cheques.