Tillage farmers and Beet Ireland face critical decisions following the conclusion of a round of recent meetings. Almost eight years after the drive to restore sugar beet processing in Ireland began, the moment of truth for the project has arrived.
The final meeting, in Wexford last Wednesday (12 December) ended in controversial circumstances following the intervention of Philip Morrissey Jr.
He asserted that the site Beet Ireland had acquired had belonged to him and had been sold without his approval or consent.
Members of the Beet Ireland committee, along with Hugh McDonnell, ITLUS president (centre), include Michael Hoey, CEO, Chris Harmon, Pat Cleary, Jim O'Regan, Brian Arnold and Simon Cross.
He further claimed that his family had been evicted from the site.
Beet Ireland strongly refuted all these claims, saying that the site’s previous owner had been Dan Morrissey (Ireland Ltd), the company run by brothers Kevin and Philip Morrissey Sr (Philip Jr’s uncle and father). Following that company going into receivership, the site was purchased from the receiver.
Kevin Morrissey has supported this account, speaking at the Irish Grain Growers beet meeting in Carlow to that effect.
The exchange saw the Wexford meeting that had already proved challenging wound up.
The main issue of concern raised on the night, as every night, was the price farmers would receive for the beet they supply to the factory.
Assurances that higher yield potential will mean farmers can make money at the kind of price being paid for beet across Europe met with a mixed response.
Commitment
Each side now faces a judgment call.
Farmers must decide if they are willing to commit €1,000 each to the project and pledge to supply beet to the factory they will have a shareholding in should the project come to fruition.
Beet Ireland has said it is encouraged by the response from farmers.
Beet Ireland, for its part, must assess the level of commitment being displayed before moving to the next stage.
With the overall project having a €300m price tag, the initial investment will only cover the planning and design stages of the project.
A once-in-a-generation opportunity is being offered to tillage farmers, Beet Ireland says. Will they grasp it? Only time will tell.
Tillage farmers and Beet Ireland face critical decisions following the conclusion of a round of recent meetings. Almost eight years after the drive to restore sugar beet processing in Ireland began, the moment of truth for the project has arrived.
The final meeting, in Wexford last Wednesday (12 December) ended in controversial circumstances following the intervention of Philip Morrissey Jr.
He asserted that the site Beet Ireland had acquired had belonged to him and had been sold without his approval or consent.
Members of the Beet Ireland committee, along with Hugh McDonnell, ITLUS president (centre), include Michael Hoey, CEO, Chris Harmon, Pat Cleary, Jim O'Regan, Brian Arnold and Simon Cross.
He further claimed that his family had been evicted from the site.
Beet Ireland strongly refuted all these claims, saying that the site’s previous owner had been Dan Morrissey (Ireland Ltd), the company run by brothers Kevin and Philip Morrissey Sr (Philip Jr’s uncle and father). Following that company going into receivership, the site was purchased from the receiver.
Kevin Morrissey has supported this account, speaking at the Irish Grain Growers beet meeting in Carlow to that effect.
The exchange saw the Wexford meeting that had already proved challenging wound up.
The main issue of concern raised on the night, as every night, was the price farmers would receive for the beet they supply to the factory.
Assurances that higher yield potential will mean farmers can make money at the kind of price being paid for beet across Europe met with a mixed response.
Commitment
Each side now faces a judgment call.
Farmers must decide if they are willing to commit €1,000 each to the project and pledge to supply beet to the factory they will have a shareholding in should the project come to fruition.
Beet Ireland has said it is encouraged by the response from farmers.
Beet Ireland, for its part, must assess the level of commitment being displayed before moving to the next stage.
With the overall project having a €300m price tag, the initial investment will only cover the planning and design stages of the project.
A once-in-a-generation opportunity is being offered to tillage farmers, Beet Ireland says. Will they grasp it? Only time will tell.
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