It is unlikely that the sugar beet industry will make a return to Ireland, according to Patrick Coveney, Greencore chief executive.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at the launch of the 2017 AgriBusiness report this week, he said that it is unfortunate that such an industry no longer exists here.

“It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a sugar industry in Ireland given all of the positive contributions to and the role that sugar beet played in the Irish farming and agribusiness system. The essence of why that’s the case was the reform of the sugar regime in 2005 and the industry, having [now] left Ireland, I think it’s unlikely that it will return.”

Greencore closed the last sugar processing plant in the country in Mallow, Co Cork in 2006 following the implementation of sugar beet quotas in the EU.

Brexit

Meanwhile, the Greencore chief executive said that in the context of Brexit the UK food industry can’t operate without immigrant labour.

“They can’t harvest seasonal crops in Britain without immigrant labour. For us, 35% of our workforce in the UK are EU nationals. I don’t think you will end up with materially different levels of immigration into Britain post-Brexit than before.”

Listen to Patrick Coveney and other speakers at the launch of the report in our podcast below:

Listen to "Speakers at Agribusiness report launch" on Spreaker.