Members of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) are currently in a meeting in an attempt to resolve the impasse that could see the closure of Irish Sugar plants in Carlow and Mallow.
A spokesperson for the IFA confirmed to
ireland.com
that a meeting was taking place this afternoon and would be followed by a meeting of beet growers later this evening in Kilkenny.
Irish Sugar, a subsidiary of Greencore, has said, however, that as yet neither side had reached a solution and that once closed, it would be very difficult to reopen the factories.
"If the factories close it will be very difficult to reopen them at short notice," a spokesperson for the company said.
"It is also unlikely that if they closed Irish Sugar would be willing to open them if they were not sure that supplies would be maintained."
The dispute escalated yesterday morning when beet growers halted deliveries of beet to the factories in an effort to win a price increase to cover rising costs.
The move was agreed on unanimously at a meeting of grower representatives in Abbeyleix last Monday.
Growers are halting deliveries as a protest against Irish Sugar's move to cut prices by £3.60 per tonne or ten per cent, IFA president Mr Tom Parlon said yesterday at a picket outside the Carlow factory.