The British Ornamentals Association (BOA) is urgently calling on growers across the UK ornamentals sector to support Horticultural Crop Protection (HCP) Ltd, helping to safeguard continued access to essential Plant Protection Products (PPPs) for 2026 and beyond.
HCP plays a critical role in securing authorisations for PPP use in ornamental crops, working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to obtain Extensions of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMUs) and, where necessary, Emergency Authorisations (EAs). These authorisations include both new approvals and renewals of existing products.
The BOA estimates that around 70% of the PPPs used by the ornamentals sector rely on EAMUs. Without them, if applications are not submitted or renewed, UK production of a wide range of ornamental crops would become commercially unviable, putting significant parts of the UK’s tree and plant production industry at risk.
Over recent years, HCP has demonstrated its value and impact for the ornamentals sector, delivering a very high success rate in securing vital authorisations.
The BOA recognises and sincerely thanks the growers who have already supported HCP through voluntary contributions. However, contributions to date have been too unevenly spread across the sector to sustain this work long-term.
Put simply, a funding model that benefits the many but is funded by the few will not last. Without broader and more consistent support, the sector risks losing access to essential PPPs that underpin commercial production.
To avoid confusion and ensure a consistent approach, the BOA and HTA have confirmed that voluntary contributions in 2026 will not be invoiced or collected directly by BOA or HTA.
The only route to contribute in 2026 is via the British Growers Association (BGA), which provides secretariat support and administers the process on behalf of the sector, with oversight from the ornamentals committee.
All voluntary contributions are passed through to support HCP’s operations, with only a small amount retained to cover the administration of invoicing and payment processing. Neither BOA nor HTA retain any profit or commission from contributions.
Subscription years and re-signing up to contribute
The sector is currently collecting voluntary contributions for the April 2025 – March 2026 subscription year.
Collections for the April 2026 – March 2027 subscription year will begin in April 2026.
BOA would also like to highlight that even if your business has previously contributed via BOA or HTA, you will still need to re-sign up using the current BGA process in order to continue supporting HCP going forward.
This ensures contributions are correctly recorded, processed, and aligned with the centralised approach now in place for the ornamentals sector.
BOA Chair: “This is about protecting the future of UK ornamental production”
Commenting on the urgent need for wider sector support, Derek Jarman, Chair of the British Ornamentals Association, said:
“Access to effective plant protection products is fundamental to the viability of UK ornamental production. HCP’s work in securing and renewing EAMU and Emergency Authorisations supports the crops we grow, the businesses we run, and the wider supply chains that depend on them.
This is a shared sector requirement, and it’s vital that support is shared across the sector too. If your business benefits from these authorisations, and most do, we would strongly encourage you to contribute. It is one of the most direct and practical ways we can safeguard the future of our industry.”
How to contribute
Growers and businesses who wish to support HCP can find full details and access the contribution process online via either of the following pages:
