BEET growers are expected to turn out in force at a meeting in York to discuss the reform of the European sugar regime.

They will converge from across Yorkshire in Escrick next Tuesday to hear the views of Mike Blacker, chairman of the National Farmers Union's (NFU) sugar board, and Helen Kirkman, chief sugar adviser.

As previously reported in the Evening Press, a new agreement will see European sugar prices slashed by 36 per cent, and an estimated loss of 100,000 jobs throughout Europe.

It was predicted that many smaller growers among the 1,500 suppliers of sugar beet to York's British Sugar factory were likely to leave the industry.

The NFU believes the reforms will change the face of the sugar industry - although the price cut was set at 36 per cent, instead of the proposed 39 per cent, to be phased in over four rather than two years.

Mr Blacker, who farms at Newton-on-Ouse, near York, believes the price cut will be "extremely painful".

"Having said that, we have achieved many of our objectives in negotiations with the European Union, not least avoiding a compulsory quota cut," he said.

"The next stage is detailed discussions on how the reforms will be implemented in the UK and that will also be a hot topic for discussion next week."

Growers will be able to speak out at the open meeting on key points that now need raising in negotiations with British Sugar which has a major refinery in York. One such issue will be the level of compensation growers can expect given the steep price cuts agreed.

These negotiations form the next stage in managing the impact of reform on the Yorkshire farmers that rely on a sustainable sugar industry. The industry supports 1,500 other jobs in the region in sectors such as haulage.

Mr Blacker said: "Our aim overall has been to achieve reform, but not at the expense of our sugar industry.

"We have won through on a number of points and our job now is to ensure that the reforms are implemented in a way that treats UK growers fairly."

A British Sugar spokesman assured the growers for York's Boroughbridge Road factory in November: "We have no mandatory quota cuts at any of our six factories, including York, and therefore no plans for closures or to change throughput at any of them."

The meeting on Tuesday, from 10am, at the Parsonage Country House Hotel, Escrick, near York, and is open to all NFU members.

Updated: 11:23 Friday, January 20, 2006