IFA 'annoyed' by EU Commissioner's handling of trade talks

Farming groups are planning a series of protests against the EU's trade commissioner Peter Mandelson.

The organisations are not happy with the way he has been handling discussions with the Americans on cutting support to European farmers at the next round of World Trade Talks this December.

Raymond O'Malley, of the Irish Farmers Association, said today that Mr Mandelson has effectively declared war on the European food industry and that thousands of jobs in Ireland will be lost as a result.

“What Peter Mandelson wants to do is to reduce the tariffs and make it much easier to import food and drink from abroad and that’s going to have a huge negative impact on Irish agriculture and in return Peter Mandelson is getting nothing so far, not a thing in the world, and this is what’s annoying people,” he said.