How many pesticides are sold?
A total of 9 million kilograms of pesticides were sold in 2022 in order to control pests and diseases, mainly for use on agricultural crops. Pesticide sales were down by 4 percent compared to 2021, and down by 18 percent since 2011. Sales of products that control fungi and bacteria saw the biggest drop compared with 2011 (30 percent).
Sales of products that control insects and mites fell by 15 percent compared with 2021, while sales of products that control fungi and bacteria dropped by 10 percent. Sales of herbicides and products that control foliage growth rose by 5 percent. The latter reduce the vulnerability of crops like potatoes to disease and make them easier to harvest. Sales of ‘Other pesticides’ increased by 23 percent compared to 2021.
One-third of pesticides sold to combat fungi and bacteria
Although most (3 million kg) of the pesticides sold were to combat fungi and bacteria, sales of these products have declined sharply since 2020. Sales of weed control products and potato foliage control products were slightly lower (2.7 million kg). Insect and mite control products accounted for a quarter of total sales (2.3 million kg).
Fewer snail pesticides
The category of ‘Other pesticides’ includes products to control snails, as well as products that affect plant growth (such as stunted growth in cereals) and reproduction (anti-sprouting agents for potatoes). Compared to 2021, a year which saw a lot of heavy rainfall, sales of snail pesticides were down by 39 percent in 2022, while sales of plant growth regulators and sprout inhibitors increased by 28 percent.
Sales of products that affect plant growth or reproduction have increased the most since 2011, the first year for which CBS has figures.
| Gewasbeschermingmiddel | 2022 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Fungicides | 2.97 | 2.35 |
| Herbicides | 1.95 | 2.3 |
| Insecticides containing paraffin oils |
1.78 | 1.64 |
| Other pesticides | 1.05 | 1.76 |
| Herbicides containing glyphosate |
0.76 | 0.72 |
| Insecticides without paraffin oils |
0.49 | 0.27 |
| Fungicides containing mancozeb |
0 | 1.89 |
Mancozeb-based anti-fungal agents no longer sold
The four main categories of pesticides can be subdivided according to their active ingredients.
Fungicides containing the active ingredient mancozeb were taken off the market in 2022 and sales therefore dropped to zero. One year earlier, 1.1 million kg were sold, and 1.9 million kg in 2011.
Sales of the herbicide glyphosate amounted to 0.76 million kg in 2022, up from 0.70 million kg in 2021. These figures are similar to 2020. In 2011, a similar amount of 0.71 million kg of this agent was sold.
Sales of paraffin oils (used to control plant viruses spread by aphids) fell for the second year in a row in 2022, to 1.78 million kg. This means that they have almost returned to 2011 levels.
Source
StatLine – Plant protection products; sales by weight by product group