Pesticide sales in Cyprus edge down over 2011-2020

The sale of pesticides in Cyprus has edged down in the past ten years, according to the latest figures released by Eurostat.

These showed that between 2011 and 2020, the sale of pesticides in the EU remained relatively stable, fluctuating by ± six per cent, at around 350,000 tons per year.

Four EU countries, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy recorded the highest volumes sold and are also the main agricultural producers in the EU, collectively accounting for 51 per cent of EU’s total utilised agricultural area and 49 per cent of EU’s arable land.

Sixteen member states recorded in aggregate sales of 251,868 tons of pesticide active substances in 2011 and 233,509 in 2020. While that accounts for just over two thirds of the total EU sales of pesticides (67 per cent) in 2020, it also marks a 7.3 per cent decline in aggregate sales figures.

The sharpest rate of decline was recorded by Czechia with a 38 per cent drop, followed by Portugal (30 per cent), Denmark (30 per cent) and Romania (22 per cent).

Cyprus is part of the group of the countries marking a decline, albeit a minor one, recording a 2 per cent drop.

In absolute terms Cyprus sold 895 tons of fungicide bactericides in 2011 and 863 in 2020 and 159 tons of insecticides in 2011 while just 91 in 2020.

Pesticides fight crop pests thus improving yields and protect the availability, quality, reliability, and price of produce to the benefit of both farmers and consumers.