According to data published today (Tuesday, April 5) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), herbicides were the main type of plant-protection product sold in Ireland in 2020.
This finding is part of a wider body of research by the CSO on tonnes of active substances contained in plant-protection products placed on the market in Ireland from 2012 to 2020.
The research also found that, in 2018, the amount of active substance in plant-protection product sales was at its lowest of the period 2012-2020 at 2,651 tonnes.
It rose again by 12% in 2019 before falling by 2% in 2020 to 2,910 tonnes.
Other main findings:
- Active substances in herbicides comprised 78% of total active substances in plant-protection product sales;
- Fungicides and plant-growth regulators were the next most common types of plant-protection product sold in Ireland in 2020;
- Active substances in fungicides were 15% of total active substances in plant-protection product sales, while active substances in plant-growth regulators were 5% of the total;
- The total amount of active substance in plant-protection products decreased by 2% in 2020.
Clare O’Hara, statistician in the environment and climate division of the CSO, explained: “This new CSO release contains data on tonnes of active substances contained in plant-protection products placed on the market in Ireland from 2012 to 2020.”
Plant protection products are pesticides that protect crops or other plants. They are primarily used in the agricultural sector to aid in the production of arable crops, fodder crops, grassland, vegetables and fruit, but are also used in forestry, amenity areas and private gardens.
“Herbicides were the predominant type of plant-protection product sold in Ireland in each year from 2012 to 2020,” she said.
Year All plant-protection products % annual change 2012 2,782 2013 2,913 5% 2014 3,353 15% 2015 3,503 5% 2016 3,112 -11% 2017 2,942 -6% 2018 2,651 -10% 2019 2,972 12% 2020 2,910 -2%
“In 2020, active substances in herbicides made up 78% of total active substances in plant protection products,” she said.
She added that fungicides and plant-growth regulators were the next most prevalent types of plant-protection product sold in each year from 2012 to 2020.
Active substances in fungicides were 15% of the total in 2020 while active substances in plant-growth regulators were 5% of the total.
Year Herb–
icidesFung–
icidesInsect–
icidesPlant
growth regulatorsMollusc-icides Misc. All plant-protection products 2012 1,808 650 42 242 20 21 2,782 2013 2,005 594 46 247 6 15 2,913 2014 2,392 636 51 248 10 17 3,353 2015 2,482 688 58 255 10 10 3,503 2016 2,243 597 33 216 14 9 3,112 2017 1,916 634 53 316 15 9 2,942 2018 1,833 602 29 161 10 17 2,651 2019 1,845 922 23 157 8 17 2,972 2020 2,262 441 10 149 12 36 2,910
“Active substances in molluscicides comprised less than 1% of total active substances in plant-protection product sales in each year from 2012 to 2020, while active substances in insecticides made up just under 2% of the total in 2017 and were less than 1% of the total in 2019 and 2020.”