The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has called for an independent expert panel to be established to support a review of DAERA's enforcement operation on a Co. Tyrone farm.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has said the operation near Fivemiletown in June had been carried out "to execute a Court Deprivation Order on a herd belonging to a disqualified keeper, in respect of animal welfare offences".

However, serious concerns have been raised by the UFU and politicians about the circumstances surrounding the operation, which involved 51 cattle being shot.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir has ordered an external review into the DAERA operation.

"We will very shortly publish the terms of reference and, once the review has been completed, will also make public the findings and recommendations and share these with the assembly," he said.

Review

An extraordinary meeting of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee will be held on Monday (August 10) to discuss the actions taken by DAERA in Co. Tyrone.

Farmers are also expected to gather for a protest outside Stormont on Monday morning.

Ahead of the meeting, the UFU is urging that the review into the operation be supported by an independent panel.

The union said this panel should bring together expertise from outside DAERA, including specialists in agriculture, veterinary medicine, animal welfare and law.

The UFU, which previously issued a vote of no confidence in DAERA, believes the AERA Committee should play a central oversight role throughout the review process.

Tyrone

"The events that unfolded near Fivemiletown have shaken confidence in DAERA to its core," John McLenaghan, UFU president, said.

He said the union has been contacted by members in every county in Northern Ireland.

"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.

"This review must be demonstrably independent, transparent and robust. It must command the confidence of farmers and the wider public alike," he said

UFU

The UFU president added that "if the review identifies failings, poor judgement or wrongdoing, those responsible must be held accountable".

"Accountability cannot stop at identifying what went wrong. It must include taking appropriate action where standards have not been met," he said.

The union is also encouraging anyone with relevant information relating to the operation to ensure it is brought forward through the appropriate channels.

The UFU is continuing discussions with political representatives ahead of Monday's meeting "to ensure members of the committee fully appreciate the scale of concern that exists throughout the farming community".

"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," McLenaghan said.

DAERA

Meanwhile, Minister Muir has said that "misleading" commentary about the DAERA operation has resulted in both threats and "significant abuse online" against the department's staff.

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

According to the minister 50 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 in Tyrone.

He 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".

Minister Muir has said the Tyrone operation was "a particularly complex and distressing case" and has also acknowledged the concerns voiced by many over the DAERA operation in Fivemiletown.