Japan agchem sales up slightly in FY 2013

Agrochemical sales in Japan slightly rose by 0.8% to 337,226 million yen ($3159.2 million at the current rate) in the FY 2013 ended Sep 30,according to the Japan Crop Protection Association(JCPA). The sales volume dipped by 0.2% at 196,688 tons.

Herbicides were the largest category with sales up by some 2% to 114,121 million yen ($1082.7 million), while sales volume increased 2.8% to 60,659 tons. Insecticides sales declined by 0.9% to 100,725 million yen ($955.6 million)with volume dipping by 0.2% to 70,957 tons. Insecticides/fungicides recorded a 4.6% increase to 38,211 million yen ($362.5 million), while volume dropped by 1.8% to 21,284 tons. Fungicides posted a 0.1% drop at 74,189 million yen ($703.9 million), and volume also decreased by 3.2% to 38,490 tons.

The sales for the paddy-field application category registered a 3.1% rise to 124,166 million yen ($1178.0 million)with volume increasing by some 3% to 70,057 tons.Sales for vegetable/upland farms application saw a 1.3% drop to 117,782 million yen($1117.5 million) with volume also decreasing 3.2% at 80,587 tons. Sales for fruit trees application post a 0.3% decline at 50,219 million yen($476.5 million),and volume was down by 1.4% to 19,605 tons. The “others uses” section,  which including non-agricultural, forest, garden, golf uses, recorded the increase both in sales and volume, and the sales boosted by 2.3% to 35,078 million($332.8 million) yen with volume up by 4.7% to 21,140 tons.

Japanese agrochemical sales in fiscal year 20131
Category	Volume (tons, kL)	annual % change	Value (¥ mn)	annual % change
Paddy fields
Insecticides	14,778	+10.7	14,134	+ 8.9
Fungicides	7,158	-2.7	10,835	-2.3
Insecticides/fungicides	16,335	-1.6	33,411	+ 3.1
Herbicides	31,785	+3	65,787	+ 2.8
Subtotal	70,057	+2.8	124,166	+ 3.1
Fruit trees
Insecticides	8,684	-3	22,976	-0.8
Fungicides	6,305	-2.5	19,402	+ 5
Insecticides/fungicides	472	-7.6	345	-1.1
Herbicides	4,145	+4.9	7,496	-10.8
Subtotal	19,605	-1.4	50,219	-0.3
Vegetables/upland farms
Insecticides	43,621	-3.2	56,541	-3.3
Fungicides	24,097	-3	38,753	-0.9
Insecticides/fungicides	2,336	+0.3	2,881	+ 36.1
Herbicides	10,533	-4.4	19,607	0
Subtotal	80,587	-3.2	117,782	-1.3
Other uses2
Insecticides	3,874	+3.9	7,074	+ 0.5
Fungicides	930	-13.6	5,199	-6.8
Insecticides/fungicides	2,141	-3.8	1,574	-4.3
Herbicides	14,196	+7.8	21,231	+ 6.1
Subtotal	21,140	+4.7	35,078	+ 2.3
Total
Insecticides	70,957	-0.2	100,725	-0.9
Fungicides	38,490	-3.2	74,189	-0.1
Insecticides/fungicides	21,284	-1.8	38,211	+ 4.6
Herbicides	60,659	+2.8	114,121	+ 1.9
Subtotal	191,390	-0.1	327,246	+0.9
Other sections3
Plant growth regulators	1,654	+2.6	6,093	-4.3
Rodenticides	9	-81.2	14	-76.3
Adjuvants	3,587	-5.9	2,968	-0.4
Others	48	+9.1	906	+3.8
Subtotal	5,299	-4	9,981	-2.9
Final Total	196,688	-0.2	337,226	0.8
1 Fiscal year 2013 extends from October 2012 to September 2013. 2 Other uses: non-agricultural , forest, garden, golf 3 Other sections: including plant growth regulators, rodenticides, adjuvants and biopesticides Source: Japan Crop Protection Association (JCPA)