New statistics released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that sales of home and garden pesticides continue to increase1. According to the report, the volume of home and garden products sold in 2001 grew by 13.3% to 46,266 tonnes. Total expenditure on these pesticides reached US$2,151 million, an increase of 4%.
In the other two categories of use, agriculture and professional pest control, decreases were observed. Use of agricultural pesticides fell by 6.5% in 2001 to 306,174 tonnes, the lowest recorded figure for 15 years. Professional pest control applications (professional non-agricultural pesticide use) were down by 2.6% to 50,349 tonnes.
A similar upward trend in sales of home and garden pesticides is seen in the UK. In 2001 the Crop Protection Association reported an increase of 14% in sales in home and garden products sold in the UK (by weight of pesticide active ingredients). This upward trend has been noticeable for a number of years in the UK with sales (by weight) of pesticide more than doubling between 1997 and 2001, an increase of 114%.
(GF)
1. Pesticide Industry Sales and Usage – 2000 and 2001 Market Estimates
www.epa.gov/oppbead1/
pestsales/01pestsales/market-estimates2001.pdf
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 67, March 2005, page 18]