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The herbicide glyphosate is attacked. As a statistic shows, from 2008 to 2016, the quantity marketed in Switzerland has decreased considerably. In contrast, insecticides show an increase in sales. The Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG) on Tuesday released statistics on the sale of pesticides between 2008 and 2016. The total quantity marketed during this period remained virtually unchanged at 2200 tonnes per year
. The top sellers were sulfur, paraffin oil, glyphosate and folpet. A new presentation of the statistics allows a more detailed interpretation of the data on the sale of these products. And there are interesting developments
Sales fall by a third
Between 2008 and 2016, herbicide sales dropped by 225 tons, a decrease of 27%. As the BLW says, this development is largely due to lower sales of glyphosate. While nearly 300 tons were sold in 2014, the volume fell in 2016 from 92 tons to 204 tons. The highest value during this period was observed in 2008. Nearly 350 tons of glyphosate were sold at that time
which places glyphosate in the ranking of the best-selling drugs from second to third place. "The increased use of mechanical weed control is a plausible explanation for the decline in herbicide consumption," says BLW
approved in 1974
Glyphosate is present around the world around 400 million hectares agricultural areas, as reported by the Kleffmann Group market research group. In comparison, agricultural land in Switzerland comprises 1.05 million hectares.
The drug developed by the American company Monsanto was approved in 1974. In 2000, the patent expired, since products containing glyphosate are also offered by other manufacturers. Approximately 850,000 tonnes of these funds are sold each year
Disagreement on Cancer Risk
Critics warn of a cancer risk. They refer to a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), that glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans" . However, EU regulators have concluded that glyphosate does not pose a threat to human health. In late November, after lengthy disputes, EU member states have decided to extend the five-year glyphosate approval.
Other insecticides
The development of insecticides was unfavorable. Sales have increased due to a new pest. Marketed quantities of kaolin, used as a biological insecticide in Switzerland, increased in 2015 and then decreased slightly in 2016.
Compared to 2008, there was a 13-fold increase (+79 tonnes). "This development can be explained by the emergence in the early 2010s of a new pest that can cause great damage to fruit crops: the cherry vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii)," note the BLW
Of the top ten active ingredients sold in Switzerland, kaolin, copper (as oxychloride), paraffin oil and sulfur can be used in agriculture biological as well as in conventional agriculture.
The marketed amount of sulfur (fungicide) has increased from 356 to 406 tonnes in recent years. Glyphosate (herbicide), folpet (fungicide, viticulture), mancozeb (fungicide, potato), captan (fungicide, fruit), metamitron (herbicide, potato) and metaldehyde (molluscicide) complete this group of the top 10 active ingredients. Swiss. function (d, s, id) {
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