Vol. 559 No. 2
73 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views regarding the fact that beet growers quota may be cut for 2003, in view of the danger of lower yields than usual due to bad weather; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25709/02]
The production of sugar in all member states of the European Union is regulated by the EU sugar regime under which a sugar quota is specified for each member state. The quota is a national quota for manufactured sugar. There is no quota for sugar beet nor is there a quota at farm level in the sugar sector. Under the EU Regulation the sugar quota for each member state is allocated to the sugar manufacturers on the member state's territory. Accordingly, in Ireland's case the quota is allocated to Irish Sugar Limited, the only manufacturer of sugar in the country. It is a matter for the company to place contracts with farmers to deliver sufficient sugar beet to manufacture the national sugar quota. I have no function in that particular matter.
As regards the sugar quota for 2003, this will be decided in September 2003 when full details of sugar exports against the Community's obligations under the WTO agreement have been established.
I appreciate the difficulties being experienced by farmers in view of the bad weather and the prospect that yields might be lower than normal, but that fact would not cause quota reductions in 2003.
The sugar quota for the 2002-03 marketing year was reduced across the Community by 862,475 tonnes in total of A and B quota, because exports exceeded WTO limits. In Ireland's case this reduction amounted to 6,410 tonnes of A quota and 640 tonnes of B quota.
