The Irish Farmers' Association and the Ulster Farmers Union have formed a cross-border campaign to maintain the island of Ireland's potato industry's disease-free status.
The two farm groups want to ensure that "brown rot" disease is kept out of Ireland. The groups want all imported potatoes inspected by government officials for brown rot.
The action came after brown rot was reported across the Irish Sea in Scotland.
Brown rot or Pseudomonas solanacearum is a tuber rot caused by the Gram-negative organism responsible for bacterial wilt. It is largely of tropical and subtropical occurrence.
Infection of tubers is via the vascular system from the infected haulm. The typical symptom is a dark brown to black vascular ring.