The external review by Dr Marin Blake into the Fivemiletown incident should be allowed to run its course, the NI Agricultural Producers’ Association (NIAPA) has said.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, the chair of NIAPA, James Lowe, said Dr Blake has “a proven record in his profession” and is “highly regarded across Europe”.
“He must be given the opportunity to carry out a full review which will lead to a systematic reform so that incidents like this will never be handled in such an unprofessional way again,” he said.
Lowe said the incident outside Fivemiletown at the end of June has “added to the frustrations” that farmers feel towards DAERA.
Whilst Lowe said NIAPA “fully condoned” the cull, the farmer organisation is not following the UFU by calling for resignations.
“We feel that two wrongs do not make a right,” he said.
SHARING OPTIONS