A new Plant Risk Register has been launched to help monitor and manage plant health in Northern Ireland.

The new register was announced at a major plant health conference in Belfast to develop a new plan to safeguard Northern Ireland's environment and its £4 billion agri-food sector.

Forest Service brought together stakeholders to discuss plans to protect our environment, forestry, horticulture and agriculture industries from new and emerging plant diseases and pests.

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Jim Crummie, Director of Plant Health, said: "We are very proud of our high plant health status in Northern Ireland but new risks and threats are emerging and we must manage those.

"We are working with local stakeholders, as well as our partners in the UK and Ireland, to share approaches on how to safeguard our plants and therefore our key industries and economy.

"Government alone cannot protect our environment and plant health. All of us, from green-fingered amateur gardeners to commercial nurseries need to be aware of what plants we are importing, buying off the internet or bringing back from holiday. We can inadvertently import new diseases and pests which pose a significant threat to our plants and agri-industries."

(CD/LM)