Madam, - It is a pity that Jim Murray (August 16th) rushed to attack Martin Mansergh (Opinion, August 6th) for defending Irish sugar beet growers in the current debate on EU sugar reform, without taking on board Dr Mansergh's central point.
His key point was: "It is particularly galling that surplus production of some of our [ EU] partners is causing problems on world markets and has led the EU Commission to make drastic proposals that envisage closing down sugar production in Ireland and other smaller member-states".
Dr Mansergh was careful to point out that Ireland does not contribute to the EU sugar surplus.
He was absolutely right to challenge the EU Commission's proposals, which are unprecedented in their devastating effect on individual member-states.
Irish sugar beet growers, along with growers in peripheral countries such as Finland, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, are fighting for an EU sugar policy that allows them to remain viable and supply their own domestic market requirements as part of an overall EU regime which removes Europe's surplus from world markets.
Our approach also protects the interests of the world's poorest countries, which would have access to EU markets. - Yours, etc,
JIM O'REGAN, Chairman, Sugar Beet Committee, Irish Farmers' Association, Dublin 12.