Plant protection products are pesticides that protect crops or other plants. Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 (HRI1), which is an index calculated by applying hazard weightings to the active substances in plant protection products, increased by 4% in 2021 to a value of 52 (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
HRI1 showed a decrease of 48% in 2021 compared with the based period 2011-2013 (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
Weighted average sales of active substances from 2011 to 2013 (set to 100) were used as the base for the HRI1 index. HRI1 was at its highest value of the period between 2011 and 2021 in 2019 when it was 124 and was lowest in 2020 at 50 (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
The total amount of active substances in plant protection products placed on the market in Ireland fell by 12% in 2022, when it was 2,716 tonnes (See Table 2).
Active substances in herbicides comprised 69% of total active substances in plant protection product sales in 2022 (See Figure 2 and Table 2).
Active substances in fungicides were 17% of total active substances in plant protection product sales in 2022, while active substances in plant growth regulators accounted for 12% of the total (See Figure 2 and Table 2).
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (29 January 2024) released Plant Protection Products 2022.
Commenting on the release, Clare O'Hara, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division, said: "This release contains data on tonnes of active substances contained in plant protection products placed on the market in Ireland from 2011 to 2022. 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.
Harmonised Risk Indicator 1
The release also contains data on Harmonised Risk Indicator 1 (HRI1) from 2011 to 2021. HRI1 is an index which indicates the trend in risks from pesticide use to human health and the environment. HRI1 increased by 4% in 2021 to a value of 52. This was a decrease of 48% compared with the base period 2011-2013. HRI1 was at its highest value of the time period 2011-2021 in 2019 at 124 and was lowest in 2020 at 50 (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
HRI1 is calculated by categorising the active substances into groups based on the risk associated with each product, applying a hazard weighting to each group, and setting as a base (equal to 100) the average value for the period 2011-2013.
Amount of Active Substances
The amount of active substances in plant protection products sold in Ireland was at its highest level during the period 2011-2021 in 2011 at 3,692 tonnes. In 2018 it was at its lowest level at 2,651 tonnes. It then rose by 12% in 2019 before falling by 2% in 2020 to 2,910 tonnes. A 6% increase in 2021 saw the total amount reach 3,091 tonnes. In 2022, the amount of active substances in plant protection products fell 12% to 2,716 tonnes (See Figure 2 and Table 2).
Active Substances by Type of Product
In 2022, active substances in herbicides made up 69% of total active substances in plant protection products. Active substances in fungicides were 17% of the total in 2022 while active substances in plant growth regulators were 12% of the total.
Active substances in molluscicides (for control of pests such as snails and slugs) comprised less than 1% of total active substances in plant protection product sales in each year from 2011 to 2022, while active substances in insecticides made up less than 1% of the total from 2019 to 2022 and less than 2% of the total from 2011 to 2018 (See Figure 2 and Table 2)."