Farmers vent fury over CAP reform

THOUSANDS of farmers yesterday focused their fury on the European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

Bringing the centre of Dublin to a standstill, they claimed he is selling out Irish and other European farmers in the world trade talks.

A group of farmers also staged a 24-hour sit-in at the European Commission offices in Dublin. The men emerged from their overnight protest as ‘The Mandelson Ten’ and were hailed by 5,000 other farmers, who filled the full length of Molesworth Street, in the biggest Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) protest since the celebrated ‘tractorcade’ nearly three years ago.