Union calls for independent expert panel to review cull of cows
By Rebecca Black, Press Association
A call has been made for an independent expert panel to review the culling of cows in Co Tyrone, which has sparked criticism.
Criticisms have been made after the livestock were euthanised by the Stormont Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) staff in a field in the view of some members of the public near Fivemiletown in June.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union said that confidence in the department’s veterinary and enforcement processes has been “severely damaged”.
Agriculture minister Andrew Muir said the situation arose following a court order which required his officials to act after a man was convicted of a number of offences and disqualified for life from keeping animals.
The minister said the department gave the herd keeper three weeks to sell off or dispose of his animals, but he “only divested himself of a small number of animals”.
This review must be demonstrably independent, transparent and robust. It must command the confidence of farmers and the wider public alike
He said this left 51 cows on the land which had to be removed from the disqualified keeper.
Muir said: “The department was unfortunately left with no reasonable alternative to comply with the court order, other than to euthanise the animals.
“While it is generally preferable for the animals to be removed from the premises and euthanised remotely, in certain circumstances, such as this case, it was the assessment of professional veterinary staff that this option was simply not possible.”
Muir is due to appear at the Daera scrutiny committee at Stormont on Monday about the incident.
UFU president John McLenaghan said the events that unfolded “have shaken confidence in Daera to its core” and urged that a review is carried out by an independent panel of experts.
“We have heard from members in every county and from every farming sector,” he said.
“They are asking how this could happen, the chain of events that led to the incident, whether it could have been prevented and, most importantly, how confidence can be restored.
“The farming community will not regain confidence if the department is perceived to be investigating itself.
“This review must be demonstrably independent, transparent and robust. It must command the confidence of farmers and the wider public alike.”
The UFU has also asked anyone with information about what happened to bring it forward through appropriate channels to assist scrutiny of the events.
It said it is continuing discussions with political representatives from across the Assembly “to ensure members of the committee fully appreciate the scale of concern that exists throughout the farming community and the importance of securing meaningful answers from Daera officials”.
McLenaghan added: “Monday cannot become a box-ticking exercise. It must be a genuine examination of what happened, why it happened and what must now be actioned. Farmers expect searching questions, complete transparency and honest answers.
“Our role as the Ulster Farmers’ Union is to represent our members. We will continue pressing for answers, pushing for meaningful change and ensuring that the voices of farming families are heard at every stage of this process.”
