Sinn Féin’s general election hopeful in county Wexford has suggested that the Irish sugar beet industry should be resurrected right here in the model county. Cllr. Anthony Kelly has said that the opening of a sugar beet processing plant in county Wexford could revitalise Wexford agriculture as well as providing a vital employment stimulus for our county.
“For years now I have been listening to men in suits saying that the Irish sugar beet industry was not viable,” Cllr Kelly said. “They claimed that sugar can be bought and refined cheaper in other countries, never admitting to the deserved international reputation that Irish sugar has had for quality. They have claimed that uncertainty over a full beet supply, and the collapse of the EU temporary quotas meant that the industry was unsafe for both buyers and sellers. Now it turns out they were wrong.”
A recent report from the EU Court of Auditors found that statistics which culminated in the collapse of the Irish sugar beet industry in 2005 were out of date. Cllr Kelly claims that this was no mistake and believes strongly that the Irish Sugar Beet industry was purposely run into the ground.
“Now we are being told that it would be hard to return the original services to the old processing plants. If this is true, then why can’t County Wexford become the home of a new, improved sugar beet industry? God knows we have enough qualified beet farmers in this county to make it work. We also have a world class port. The Rosslare to Waterford Rail line could also be reopened and utilised for the transport of beet once again. The possible benefits are immense.”
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