Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 November 2004
29 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has concerns that while there is a simmering crisis for beet growers here, that animal feed produced from beet pulp is being imported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29332/04]
View answerSugar beet pulp is an important constituent of feed rations in Ireland. In 2003 some 100,000 tonnes of home produced sugar beet pulp was incorporated into feed. However, Ireland has a significant shortfall in animal feed ingredients and imports around 2.8 million tonnes in total each year. Sugar beet pulp accounted for 65,000 tonnes of these imports last year.
The EU Commission's proposals for reform of the sugar regime would, in their current form, have serious repercussions for sugar beet growing in this country. The proposals will be discussed at next week's Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting but legislative proposals are not expected to emerge until next year. In the forthcoming negotiations my objective will be to protect the viability of sugar beet growing and processing in this country.
