A delegation from the Ulster Farmers’ Union vegetable committee has secured a commitment from DAERA to bring together officials, agrochemical companies and growers to explore short-term solutions for plant protection product access.

The meeting, held at a commercial horticultural holding, was requested by the UFU and led by committee chair Trevor Gabbie, deputy president Clement Lynch and vice-chair Roy Lyttle. It covered a range of regulatory and operational pressures facing Northern Ireland’s commercial growers.

Talks focused on the availability of plant protection products, ongoing UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations, and the potential for emergency-use and off-label application pathways. Gabbie stressed that long-term product access remains a top concern and that any SPS agreement must deliver practical improvements for the movement of horticultural goods.

The UFU reported encouraging feedback from growers engaged in the department’s horticulture pilot schemes and also used the meeting to discuss organic production, peat-free growing and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

As an outcome, DAERA agreed to convene a joint working group with CAFRE, the agrochemical industry and growers to identify immediate funding and technical actions. Gabbie welcomed the move but cautioned that momentum must be maintained.

The union extended an invitation to the minister and officials to attend a horticulture industry event later this year in Boston to observe innovation and best practice in the sector.