New deal and price to be unvealed at sugar meeting

Sugar beet growers in the West Midlands are being urged to attend an important meeting when details of a new agreement with British Sugar will be revealed.

The meeting takes place at 10am on Tuesday August 15 at the Park Inn, Telford, - formerly the Moat House - and it is open to all growers affected by the closure of the Allscott factory.

It has been called because the NFU/British Sugar negotiating team have now reached a deal on the future of the Inter-Professional Agreement and the crop price to be paid.

In addition, the team have agreed a package of options that will be available to growers supplying factories which British Sugar plan to close, including Allscott.

John Hoyles, the chairman of the NFU Sugar Board, together with other members of the negotiating team will present the package to growers at Tuesday's meeting.

"We are aware that in an ideal world we would be holding two meetings so that we could also cater for growers in the south of the West Midlands region," said NFU West Midlands senior policy adviser Andrew Richards.

"But this has not proved possible because of diary commitments of the negotiating team and we felt growers would rather hear about the details immediately.

"Growers who are planning to come to the meeting are urged to help spread the word to fellow growers that it is taking place to ensure that as many as possible are aware of the meeting and able to attend."

Nigel Roper, the chairman of the West Midlands Sugar Board, will be chairing the meeting and looks forward to welcoming as many growers as possible.