Over 3000 beet growers, hauliers and factory workers attended a rally at Carlow in Ireland on Tuesday (Jan 25) to oppose the planned closure of the Greencore sugar plant in the town.

Irish Farmers’ Association president John Dillon accused the company of asset stripping and undermining government attempts to fight sugar reform in Brussels.

IFA sugar beet chairman Jim O’Regan added the Carlow factory was making over 10m (7m) profit a year and was crucial to the whole local economy.