The dispute over beet prices that has closed Irish Sugar’s plants at Mallow and Carlow and threatened 650 jobs is over.
Last night the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Irish Sugar’s parent company Greencore agreed to a price increase for beet that has led to the end of the 24-day dispute.
Mr David Dilger chief executive of Greencore, described the settlement as "a win-win result to both the grower and Irish Sugar".
IFA president Mr Tom Parlon said the agreement means Irish Sugar would now be dropping its legal action against the IFA and that he expected beet deliveries to recommence at the earliest opportunity.
He said an important principle had been retained in the final settlement, which was the right of growers to continue negotiating beet prices with Irish Sugar.
"The Government has a national interest in the beet quota and the Minister for Agriculture has given a commitment that his department would play an active role in balancing the relationship between the company and growers in the future," he said.
The four-year deal gives suppliers an immediate price increase of €1.50 per tonne for this years’ crop and a further half euro per tonne next year.
The deal was brokered after intervention by the Tanaiste Ms Harney and the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh. The turbines at Irish Sugar will now be switched on and the plants in Carlow and Mallow, Co Cork will be operative within days. The company say the 200 seasonal workers laid-off because of the factory blockade will be back to work within days.
"The beet-growing sector can now move forward, confident that disruptive disputes cannot happen again. Beet growing has given the best returns by far of any tillage crop in Ireland and, with dispute out of the way, the company and growers can work together, in constructive partnership, to ensure the continued success of the sector," said Mr Dilger.
Schedules for the resumption of beet delivery to the factories are now being arranged so that deliveries of beet can begin from early next week.