Beet deliveries derailed

THE closure of the rail line at Cahir in County Tipperary, due to last week's derailment of a freight train, has seriously disrupted beet deliveries to the Irish Sugar factories in Mallow, and Carlow.

Beet growers in South Wexford, who normally deliver their beet by rail to Mallow from a depot at Wellington Bridge, have to make alternative arrangements.

Normally, five trains per day transport a total of 150,000 tonnes of sugar beet from south Wexford to the Mallow factory.

Due to the line closure, Iarnród Eireann is providing an alternative service of three trains per day, carrying 90,000 tonnes to Mallow via Kildare.

This leaves 60,000 tonnes of beet, which will have to be delivered by road from south Wexford to the Carlow sugar factory.

However, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) said the diversion of this South Wexford beet to Carlow means that an equivalent tonnage from Counties Tipperary, Kilkenny, and Laois, which is normally delivered to Carlow, has to be sent by road to the Mallow factory instead.

George Williamson, the IFA’s south Wexford sugar beet representative, wants road hauliers to offer their services to beet growers, particularly in south Wexford.

A spokesman for Irish Sugar said it was working hard to facilitate the efficient delivery of the beet.