Irish Farmer Association (IFA) President John Dillon has called on the Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan to resist EU proposals to reform the sugar industry.
Jim O' Regan, chairman of the IFA sugar beet committee
Addressing thousands of sugar beet farmers at a protest rally in Brussels today, Mr Dillon said the Irish industry "cannot survive" if the commission's proposals are adopted.
Mr Dillon led a group of 50 Irish sugar beet farmers at today's rally of around 6,000 farmers from around Europe, which was timed to coincide with a meeting of EU agricultural ministers.
Blocking streets with their tractors in part of Brussels' EU district, farmers said the proposed cuts to the minimum sugar and beet prices will force them out of business.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel published her reform plan last month, saying the EU sugar policy had been unchanged for 40 years and created prices three times the world market.
Chairman of the IFA sugar beet committee Jim O' Regan said the proposals would wipe out the country's 3,700 beet growers.
He said: "With growers reeling from the closure of the Carlow sugar factory the future viability of the country's only remaining sugar factory in Mallow is now on the line."
At the unrealistic price of €25p/ ton of beet, which is central to the commission's proposals, it would not cover the costs of production, even on the most efficient farms, he added.
Following a meeting earlier in the day between Ms Coughlan and Irish beet growers, Mr Dillon said the IFA was satisfied with "the Minister's robust defence of the beet-growing sector in Ireland".
Fine Gael MEP Simon Coveney also called on Ms Coughlan to reject the reform proposals saying the industry will not survive the 39 per cent price cut in sugar that is envisaged by the plan.
Additional reporting by Reuters
