The Irish Grain Growers Association – which has a considerable Laois membership – are holding their AGM next week, which will be attended by Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture.
The AGM takes place in the Clanard Court in Athy on Tuesday next, November 27, at 7.15pm.
Minister Doyle, who is a Fine Gael TD for Wicklow-East Carlow as well, will address the meeting as will Robbie Byrne from Precision Nutrition.
Topics on the night that will be covered include:
- CAP Reform
- Bank Interest Rates
- Sugar Beet return update
- Cereal markets
- Crop chemicals
- Farm safety
The possible return of the Sugar Beet industry is one that is certainly topical at the moment.
There is currently a drive to raise €1m from farmers that may be interested in growing Sugar Beet again – the goal is to get 1,000 farmers to contribute €1,000 each.
The group behind the project have purchased a site near Castledermot in Kildare but still have a lot of obstacles to clear before there would be a return to having Sugar Beet grown again in Ireland.
Greencore closed the Sugar Beet factory in Carlow, something which was a huge blow to farmers in this area at the time.
The Irish Grain Growers support a return of the beet industry.
The Irish Grain Growers was formed in 2006 and represents arable farmers in the Midlands, South East and South of the country.
Their aim is to focus on and promote all the positive aspects tillage farming. They want to improve the industry by promoting constructive communication amongst growers, consumers, manufacturers and policy makers.
They argue that government policy in the past has neglected tillage, relative to other sectors.
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