It was standing-room only last week in the large meeting room in Carlow’s Talbot Hotel when Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) members gathered to hear the pitch from Beet Ireland.

Clive Carter, the IGGG’s secretary, who sat at the top table, estimated the crowd at 300, with many more present than seats. The mood was one of caution. Beet growing was close to the heart of tillage farmers in the area, with the old Carlow factory down the road and the financial cost of its closure still being felt throughout the region.

Michael Hoey is the front-man for Beet Ireland. A potato grower, who with his brother, Gabriel, has built Country Crest into a multi-million food company, his personal credibility is hugely important to the project.

Beet Ireland has carried out feasibility studies, looked at newly constructed beet processing plants and researched the crop’s potential in Ireland.

Now it wants a tangible commitment to the project from farmers – the well-reported €1,000 from each of a thousand people to set up a grower’s co-op.

This investment will only finance the project’s planning stage and arrange its financing. Meaningful shareholding in the company by the co-op will require €50m or so, to give control of the company to growers. This would involve an average investment of €50,000.

Having held meetings with members of ITLUS and IGGG, the next steps are likely to be meetings held in conjunction with the IFA and Macra, over the next month.