The annual CAFRE UAS UFU Arable Conference in January 2026 is not being progressed. The organising committee are currently exploring plans for a focused arable on farm event scheduled for the first week in June 2026. Watch press for further details for date and lineup of speakers.
NRoSO Operator Road Show dates & venues for 2026:
2026 NRoSO Operator Roadshow dates announced delivered in Partnership by CAFRE and UFU. Registration will open early January 2026 – watch press and UFU website for registration details.
Tuesday 20st January Bushtown, Coleraine
Tuesday 27th January Frenchs, Clough
Thursday 29th January Whitehorse, Eglinton
Tuesday 3rd February Rices, Pontzpass
Tuesday 17th February Armagh Atek (Horticulture)
Wednesday 18th February Rockmount
Wednesday 25th February Greenmount CAFRE
UFU / IFA Arable meeting
UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy along with UFU Seeds and Cereals committee chair, vice and senior policy officer met with the IFA to discuss harvest 2025 and explore the challenges and need for bespoke meaningful future support for the sector.
UFU have met with DAERA officials to explore the importance of the Pilot Protein Scheme and highlighted how the scheme needed to be amended going forward. It was agreed the protein scheme had potential to deliver for arable sector if better delivered with forward planning allowed for integral crop rotation on farm.
UFU are progressing a follow up meeting with DAERA, part of these discussions will evaluate the awaited DAERA / AFBI research findings regarding the scheme’s environmental delivery credentials.
UFU Seeds & Cereals chairman, Richard Orr, and vice chair, Tom Wells, are driving the need for a bespoke set of measures to be delivered by Government to sustain arable production in Northern Ireland. These measures are being progressed and agreed by the UFU Seeds and Cereals policy committee and will be presented to DAERA early 2026.
The DAERA arable portfolio includes potato, both UFU Potato policy chair, David McElrea, and vice, James Wray, attended the DAREA meeting with UFU deputy president, Glenn Cuddy. The UFU potato policy committee will meet in January 2026 to clarify and signoff on specific help needed for the NI potato industry.
UFU Vegetable chairman, Trevor Gabbie, recently hosted a high-level meeting on his farm to discuss labour issues for the horticulture sector. This work is on-going. The UFU welcome the extension for applications for the DAERA horticulture support window. Applications will close at 4pm on 19 January 2026 for the Horticulture Pilot Scheme; visit www.cafre.ac.uk for more information.
UFU Continue to liaise with DAERA on the following:
The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (OCR)
The OCR applies to all professional users including farmers using plant protection products (such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, and plant growth regulators), across all sectors including agriculture, horticulture, amenity and forestry.
You are required to comply with the OCR if as part of your work / business activity you:
- store professional use plant protection products (PPPs);
- apply professional use PPP’s yourself; or
- have professional use PPP’s applied by a third party / contractor on your behalf.
Operators and businesses may be inspected under the powers given by The Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 to ensure they comply with existing PPP legislation, including The Plant Protection Products Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012. Registration is your way of confirming to DAERA that you are complying with the regulations. A farmer is a professional user.
Separate registers have been compiled by Defra for businesses located in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland).
If your business activity involves plant protection products (pesticides) you must comply with the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.
Farmers can access the registration link on the DAERA website. This link is currently live and has been operational for some time.
UFU are also currently in discussions with DAERA regarding the transitioning from current paper record keeping official control requirement to mechanical readable (electronic) official control record keeping. UFU Deputy President Glenn Cuddy and UFU Chairs along with Industry representatives had the opportunity to meet with DAERA officials to discuss how best to take this transition going forward. Full details will be available on the DAERA website. Note 2026 will be a consultative transitional window for the user and DAERA to agree the best template for future use.
Equine – registration requirement reminder
From 1 February 2026, Registration of Equine Establishments obtaining an Equine Establishment Number (EEN) will be required when you apply for a horse passport, apply to update an existing horse passport, or apply for a replacement/duplicate horse passport. You should therefore ensure that you register your equine establishment now in advance of this date to avoid any delays in your passport application(s). It is a legal requirement to hold a valid, up to date passport for your equine.
You may be unable to sell, buy, move, transport, or export your equine if you cannot provide a valid EEN and keep your passport up to date. Moving your equine to Great Britain, Ireland or other countries for competitions, shows or other activities requires an up-to-date passport and possibly an export health certificate (subject to export destination), which requires an EEN. Full details on DAERA website.
