Important changes if you use pesticides

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has advised you must register your business details by 31 December 2022 if you use pesticides as part of your work activity.

If you are a business, organisation, or sole trader who operates within Northern Ireland and who uses pesticides in a professional capacity as part of your work activity; or if you have professional pesticides applied by a third party as part of your work in agriculture, horticulture, forestry or the amenity sector you must register your business with DAERA.  This is a new legal requirement. View the legislation.

When we refer to pesticides, we mean plant protection products used to protect crops against harmful pests and diseases, checking or preventing undesirable growth of plants, or to control weeds. Examples include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, molluscicides, plant growth regulators and seed treatments.

The Department has launched an online registration application. More information and how to apply. The information you provide will be used by the Department in the organisation of official controls.

For help with registration please visit our FAQ page.

If you need to inform DAERA of any problem with the registration portal, you can email pesticides@daera-ni.gov.uk using ‘List of Registered Pesticide Operators – Query/Problem’ in the subject line.

Notes to editors: 

1. Those who start using professional pesticides for the first time after the deadline, must register within 3 months of the time they begin using the products.
2. You do not need to register if you use pesticides as part of your gardening hobby.
3. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office at: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk. ​​​
4. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook.
5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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