Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) president John McLenaghan has insisted that his organisation's call for Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to resign is rooted in policy concerns rather than personal animosity. The demand followed criticism of how the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) managed the destruction of 51 cattle on a farm near Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, on 29 and 30 June 2025. The Alliance Party has countered that the UFU's motives are less about animal welfare and more about resisting a minister it views as independent of farming industry influence.
McLenaghan said the final trigger for the resignation call was Muir's choice to appoint a single reviewer, rather than an independent panel, to examine the circumstances surrounding the cull. He described this decision as the tipping point in an already strained relationship between the union and the minister.
Why does the UFU say its demand is not personal?
McLenaghan used an appearance on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme to push back against suggestions that the union was attempting to control government decision-making.
This organisation has 120 years of history
He argued that the UFU has cooperated with successive administrations, regardless of which party held the agriculture portfolio, whether governing from Westminster or Stormont.
It has worked with every government there has been, every competent authority there has been - whether it's Westminster or Stormont.
Any political party that has held the ministry, we've worked with them to help them, to help our farmers, to help our industry.
He rejected the framing of the union's actions as dictatorial, calling it both unjust and misleading.
To describe that as dictating is not only unfair on the Ulster Farmers' Union, it's also actually somewhat disingenuous.
According to McLenaghan, Daera frequently invites the union to collaborate on so-called co-design projects, largely because of internal staffing and resourcing limitations within the department.
What sparked the dispute over the review process?
The UFU president explained that the call for Muir's resignation came specifically after seeing the terms of reference for the review into the Fivemiletown cull. The union had pushed for an independent panel made up of several experts, rather than a single investigator, believing that a broader group would better address the full range of issues at stake.
We were always clear that in order for this review to be thorough, to get the answers that we need, it needed to be more than just purely an analysis of 'did the vets follow procedure?'
McLenaghan added that the union wanted the review to examine not just procedural compliance, but also the legal basis for the operation and its impact on both animal and farmer welfare, none of which, he said, had been adequately addressed.
It needed to look into the legalities of the process and also take consideration of both animal and farmer welfare... that we didn't get.
The review is being led by Dr Martin Blake, a former Chief Veterinary Officer for Ireland, with findings expected by early autumn 2025.
How has Andrew Muir responded to the criticism?
Muir has firmly rejected the idea that farming organisations should hold sway over departmental decisions, framing his stance as a break from past practice.
the days of the Ulster Farmers' Union dictating government policy are over
He went further, positioning himself as unusually independent among his predecessors in the role.
arguably the first minister in the history of this state that is not beholden to one vested interest
Muir has also stated publicly that the cull operation itself was not something he personally authorised or directed, but that as the minister ultimately responsible, he ordered an outside, independent review to provide transparency.
authorised nor directed by me
the responsible minister...ordered an external independent review because the public deserves clear answers
He has separately maintained that Daera was left with no alternative but to proceed with the cull once legal deadlines had passed.
What does Alliance say is really driving the UFU's stance?
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson, speaking on the same radio programme, argued that the Fivemiletown case was being exploited as a pretext to undermine Muir's position.
The fact that the UFU have called for a resignation before that review has even concluded, I think speaks very plainly to the motivations behind this.
Tennyson suggested that concern for animal welfare was not the union's genuine priority in this dispute.
They are not concerned about the case at Fivemiletown or animal welfare issues, as they profess.
He claimed the underlying issue was Muir's independence from agricultural lobbying, something he described as unprecedented for the role.
They are concerned about the fact that for the first time in the history of the Northern Ireland Executive we have a minister who is not beholden to vested interest.
Tennyson also warned that expanding the review panel, as the UFU wants, risked slowing down a process he believes should be completed swiftly. McLenaghan disputed this, arguing that a three-person panel, as originally requested by the union, could actually divide the workload and finish more quickly than a single reviewer working alone.
What exactly happened on the Fivemiletown farm?
The cull stemmed from a long-running animal welfare case. Inspections dating back to 2022 had uncovered serious problems on the farm, including 33 animal carcasses left on site, feed contaminated with urine and faeces, and animals showing signs of severe malnutrition.
In May 2025, the farmer was convicted on multiple animal welfare charges and banned for life from keeping animals. The charges included thirteen counts of failing to dispose of animal carcasses, one count of failing to comply with an Animal By-Products notice, six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, and one count of failing to produce medicine records.
A court order requiring the removal of the animals from his ownership was issued on 8 June 2025. Following standard practice, he was initially given two weeks to appeal the ruling or to sell, transfer or otherwise give away the livestock, and this window was later extended by a further week.
Once that extended deadline passed, Daera's humane slaughter team arrived at the farm on 29 June to begin destroying the remaining 51 cattle by shooting. The process was carried out across three separate areas of the farm and concluded the following day, 30 June.
Some members of the public were within sight or earshot of parts of the operation, and the manner in which it was conducted caused visible distress to witnesses. A local councillor first raised questions about how the cull had been handled, prompting further concern from other politicians and farming representatives.
Key Facts
- The cull of 51 cattle took place on a farm near Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, on 29 and 30 June 2025.
- The farmer was convicted in May 2025 on 21 animal welfare-related charges and banned for life from keeping animals.
- A court-ordered deprivation of the animals was issued on 8 June 2025, with the cull proceeding after extended deadlines lapsed.
- The independent review into the operation is being led by Dr Martin Blake, former Chief Veterinary Officer for Ireland, with a report expected by early autumn 2025.
- The UFU wanted a multi-person review panel, while Muir opted for a single independent reviewer.
