Farmers are expected to gather at Stormont next week to protest following an operation that saw 51 cattle shot in Co. Tyrone.

The protest is planned to take place as the Northern Ireland (NI) Assembly Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting discuss to the controversial cattle cull at a farm near Fivemiletown in June.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) the Co. Tyrone operation had been carried out "to execute a Court Deprivation Order on a herd belonging to a disqualified keeper, in respect of animal welfare offences".

The meeting will be addressed by Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, who yesterday (Thursday, August 6) issued an urgent written statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on the operation.

Minister Muir said that "after careful consideration of allavailable options, the department was unfortunately left with noreasonable alternative to comply with the court order, other than to euthanise the animals".

He advised Assembly members that 50 of the cattle were euthanised by the DAERA Humane Slaughter Team on June 29, 2026 with one animal euthanised by the team on the morning of June, 30.

The minister said: "The staff in this team are highly trained, in line with best practice and legislative requirements, and highly respected across these islands for their expertise following procedures that provide for a humane death.

"In fact, they are often called upon to support colleagues in otherjurisdictions".

The chair of the Assembly’s AERA Committee, Robbie Butler, said that "the statement sets out that the department was acting to comply with a court deprivation order following convictions for animal welfare and disposal offences, and that the keeper had been disqualified for life".

However the Ulster Unionist party Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson also added that "the existence of a court order does not settle the question of how the decision was reached or how it was carried out and it is the how that farmers are asking about".

A senior delegation from the Ulster Farmers' Union has confirmed it intends to attend Monday's meeting of the AERA Committee.

UFU president, John McLenaghan, said: "As a union we have been shocked, angered and deeply distressed by this incident. The strength of feeling across our membership is unlike anything we have witnessed for many years.

"Farmers deserve a full explanation of how these decisions were reached, who authorised them and whether every possible alternative was properly considered".

Protest

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart is among those urging people to gather from 10:00a.m on Monday (August 10) at Stormont, with the special NI agriculture committee meeting due to take place the same day.

She said: "If you care about farming, if you care about animal welfare, and if you believe government departments must be held accountable for their actions, then I urge you to join us at Stormont on Monday morning.

"This is about standing up for our farming community and making it clear that enough is enough."

Jonathan Buckley MLA has also urged people to attend.

"This is an opportunity for people to make their voices heard and show their support for our farming community," he said.