Speaking at this week's Poultry Association of Northern Ireland conference, held at CAFRE's Loughry Campus, Cookstown, he added that Europe is now a sump for the surplus food produced in South America, the United States and South East Asia.
"The EU continues to allow almost unfettered access to its markets," he added.
"Contrast this with the situation that exists in North and South America, where food imports are effectively banned. Both these regions are committed to a policy of world food domination and the EU is now playing totally into their hands in this regard."
Reserving his strongest criticism for EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, the Moy Park representative called for Europe to raise the bar where food imports are concerned.
"Farming is a business," he stressed. "And farmers must be allowed to secure an end price for their produce which takes account of rising input costs. Every business must make a profit and farmers cannot be expected to grin and bear a situation which does not add up to a level playing field. Europe's current food import policies are eroding the foundations on which EU agriculture have been built. And this approach has inherent dangers regarding future food security within Europe."
Eric Reid also highlighted the need for Brussels to get its act together on the issue of GM imports.
"It's the height of hypocrisy for the EU to allow in food derived from animals fed GM diets while, at the same time, denying its own farmers access to the same raw materials," he added.
"The intensive sectors in the UK are losing out to the tune of around £50 million per annum because they cannot access GM byproducts such as corn gluten. This is an untenable situation, made worse by the fact that the EU's current policy on GM makes no sense at all."

"Nor does the Brussels' perspective on what constitutes fresh food. At the present time frozen poultry imports, which are subsequently de-frosted, can be marketed as fresh within the EU. As a result, these lines are competing directly with locally produced chicken, which is genuinely fresh. This is an unfair situation and one which the local poultry industry is fighting tooth and nail to resolve."

Referring to the recent acquisition of Moy Park's parent company OSI by the Brazilian food business Marfrig, Eric Reid stressed that the development represented a good news story for the poultry industry in Northern Ireland.

"Moy Park is not making money at the present time," he concluded.

"However, I have already met with the top management at Marfrig and they are extremely impressed with our three year business plan.

"This will be based on delivering improved efficiencies across every aspect of our operation. And in this context local breeders and growers will continue to play a crucial role!"

* DUP delegation in Moy Park talks, Page 15