EPA Updates Pesticide Use Data

EPA has released its latest estimates of U.S. pesticide sales and usage, for 2006 and 2007. The report provides hard-to-find data compiled from the agency’s records, USDA surveys, and proprietary sources. The last time EPA released such information was in 2001. The report includes graphical illustration of trends and levels of pesticide use since 1988; data back to 1980 are available online (epa.gov/opp00001/pestsales). The report also provides data on imports, exports, producers, and users. In 2007, U.S. pesticide sales were about $12.5 billion, or 32% of the nearly $40 billion world market, and U.S. pesticide use was 1.1 billion lb, or 22% of the 5.2 billion lb of pesticides used worldwide, the report estimates. The report also finds that herbicides and fumigants were the top pesticides used in terms of pounds applied in the U.S. agricultural market and that U.S. pesticide use decreased by about 8% from 1.2 billion to 1.1 billion lb from 2000 to 2007.