Irish beet growers see the abolition of European sugar regulation this October as a reason to revive the sugar industry. Recently, the Irish agricultural youth organisation Macra after Feirme supported the initiative.
According to the young people, sugar beet cultivation restores the economic viability of arable farms and also contributes to employment in agribusiness due to the beet campaign. The growers, unite in Bit Ireland, argue that the beet is the most profitable arable crop next to a perfect rotational crop.
In 2006, the last sugar factory in the country, which at that time employed 7.300 growers and 300 factory employees, closed. At the time, sugar production had a value for growers of 150 million euros.
However, to make real progress in the recovery of sugar production in Ireland, a commercial party and investors are needed. The ministry is investigating the possibility of building a new sugar/bioethanol location. Depending on the type of facility, a capital of between 250 and 400 million euros is required.
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