THE National Council of the IFA has endorsed a renegotiated agreement with Irish Sugar. The company agreed to remove a "penalty clause" from the contracts beet growers will sign, and the IFA lifted its boycott of Greencore products.

The removed clause concerned a £2 per tonne penalty which would be imposed on growers who took part in disruptive protest actions not approved by the IFA.

After the national council meeting the IFA beet section chairman, Mr Martin O'Regan, said the agreement would have the support of "the vast majority" of growers. It will be worth an extra £1.44 per tonne this year and £8.7 million over four years.