{
  "id": 862468,
  "title": "'The department has lost touch with farmers' - call for minister's resignation over cattle cull",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/the-department-has-lost-touch-with-farmers-call-for-ministers",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-14T11:08:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Science",
    "slug": "bbc-science",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdj0pv2m812o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has demanded that Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir resign over the handling of a cattle cull in County Tyrone. The incident, which involved the shooting of 51 cattle in June, has sparked concerns about the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) losing touch with farmers. UFU President John McLenaghan criticized the department's independence, questioning the review's scope and the appointment of a single person to conduct it. He insisted that a demonstrably independent and robust investigation is necessary, given the severity of the incident. The UFU has consistently advocated for such an investigation, calling for the resignation of Daera's Permanent Secretary Katrina Godfrey and Chief Veterinary Officer Brian Dooher. An external review has been announced, to be led by Dr Martin Blake, a former Chief Veterinary Officer for Ireland.",
  "summary": "The minister has previously said there was \"no reasonable alternative\" to the cattle being euthanised on site after the 51 cattle were culled following a court order.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ulster Farmers Union demands Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir's resignation",
    "Incident involved shooting of 51 cattle in County Tyrone in June",
    "UFU criticizes Department of Agriculture's independence"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The call for the minister's resignation marks a significant escalation of the Ulster Farmers' Union's criticism of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs' handling of the cattle cull and its accountability.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}