The president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has insisted that the union’s call for Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to resign is “not personal”.
The UFU called for the minister’s resignation on Friday over the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) handling of the controversial cattle cull at a farm in Five Mile Town, County Tyrone.
The Alliance Party claimed that the UFU’s demand was not driven by animal welfare concerns, but was instead aimed at opposing Mr Muir as he challenges what it described as “vested interests” within the agricultural sector.
UFU president John McClenahan rejected that claim, saying the dispute was “not a personal issue”. He added that Mr Muir’s decision to appoint a review into the cattle culling operation was “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.
The farming union has called for an independent panel of experts to investigate the circumstances surrounding the culling, which took place at the Five Mile Town farm on 29 and 30 June.
The owner of the cattle was found guilty of multiple animal welfare offences in May and was permanently disqualified from keeping animals.
DAERA intervened after it was unable to secure a court order transferring ownership of the cattle.
The animals were shot by DAERA’s humane slaughter team. Some of the shooting took place within earshot of members of the public, prompting concerns about animal welfare and the way the operation was managed.
The UFU expressed shock over the Five Mile Town cattle cull and called for all possible alternatives to be fully considered, external before the cattle were killed.
Mr Muir previously said that DAERA had “no choice” but to cull the animals.
Responding to calls for his resignation, the minister said on Friday: “The days of the Ulster Farmers’ Union determining government policy are over.”
He added that he was “probably the first minister in the history of this state to not rely on one vested interest”.
Mr Muir also said the operation was “not authorised or directed by me”. However, he said that, “as a responsible minister”, the public deserved clear answers and confirmed that he had ordered an external and independent review.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk