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The managing director (MD) and the board of Dungannon-based Countryside Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), have been removed in an extraordinary turn of events in recent days.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands the board received notification that they were being stood down last Friday, with the former MD Ian McNiece reportedly sacked on Monday morning by current UFU president David Brown.
There have been rumours of strained relations between senior management at Countryside Services (CSL) and the UFU leadership for over a year, despite the company delivering strong business performance since McNiece took over in late 2013.
Primarily an animal tag supplier, CSL has also been the delivery agent for various DAERA initiatives including Tier 1 of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme, and has recently expanded operations with the purchase of two tag companies in England.
The latest accounts show that CSL net assets have more than doubled since 2018, to stand at £2.14m in 2021. Pre-tax profit in 2021 was over £0.5m.
It is understood that the CSL board were supportive towards McNiece and keen to demonstrate commercial independence from the UFU, particularly given that CSL was involved in delivery of DAERA schemes, potentially lobbied for by the union leadership.
Board members
Members of the CSL board included former UFU presidents Barclay Bell and Ivor Ferguson, as well as NFU Mutual board member Dr Christine Kennedy and former Danske agriculture manager John Henning. They have all been replaced, with David Brown and his deputy president, William Irvine, installed as new CSL directors. It is understood that former UFU chief executive Clarke Black has been brought in as MD on a temporary basis.
That change to the governance within CSL has not been confirmed by the UFU. In a short statement provided to the Irish Farmers Journal, current president David Brown said he was “not able to comment as the process is ongoing”. However, he did confirm that the CSL board has been stood down.
“Regrettably the removal of the Countryside Services Board was the only mechanism available in order to implement the direction of the UFU board,” said Brown.
When approached, Ian McNiece did not want to provide a statement, other than to say he is currently taking legal advice.
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