AN Oireachtas committee is to investigate why the Irish sugar beet industry was shut down and, furthermore, explore ways of negotiating a new sugar quota with the EU to restart the industry.

CASES of farmers with less than 24 acres being fined up to €10,500 for over-claiming EU payments have been highlighted by public representatives.

A COMPLETE reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and the reversal of Government budget cutbacks in the agricultural sector are among proposals in a report on the future of farming and fishing in the west of Ireland.

IT’S a reflection of how low agricultural income is that annual payments for land acquisition by the National Roads Authority (NRA) are equivalent to 15% of farmers’ earnings in Ireland.