Farmers seek removal of top EC official in Ireland

The Irish Farmers Association is calling on the European Commission to recall the director of its Irish office in Dublin.

The association says it has written to EC president Jose Manual Barroso seeking Martin Territt's removal from the job.

The call follows Mr Territt's rejection of a recent IFA report on Brazilian beef.

The IFA says an investigation it conducted found poor standards in the production of beef exports from Brazil.

However, the EC in Ireland said the report was misleading and the investigation was carried out in areas that are banned from exporting beef to the EU.

The IFA says this is at odds with the stance being taken by the EU Agriculture Commissioner and the chairman of the agriculture committee at the European Parliament.