AgroPages-Japan agrochem sales down 8% in H1 of FY 2015-Agricultural news

Japan agrochem sales down 8% in H1 of FY 2015

Japanese agrochemical sales in volume and in value both decreased in the first half year of FY 2015 which ended March 31st 2015, according to the Japan Crop Protection Association (JCPA). Sales value dropped 7.8% to 224,368 million yen ($1,817 million at the current rate) compared with the same period of last fiscal year, volume slipped 10.3% to 116,088 tons.

Sales of herbicides were down by 9.3% to 80,898 million yen ($655 million), accounting for 36% of total agrochemical sales, while sales volume decreased 10.7% to 37,936 tons. Insecticides sales dropped 7.3% to 62,076 million yen ($503 million), volume dropped 9.8% to 39,136 tons. Fungicides sales in value and volume were also both down by 6.7% and 10.4% to 49,093 million yen ($398 million) and 22,762 tons, respectively. Insecticides/fungicides decreased by 8% to 26,335 million yen ($213 million), while volume dropped by 8.2% to 13,302 tons.

Japanese agrochemical sales in H1 of fiscal year 2015¹
Category	Volume (tons/kL)	change%	Value (¥ mn)	change%
Paddy fields
Insecticides	6,871	-14.5	7,546	-12.9
Fungicides	3,935	-9.5	6,426	-9.3
Insecticides/fungicides	10,642	-10.8	23,699	-9.1
Herbicides	21,689	-14.4	48,815	-12.0
Subtotal	43,137	-13.1	86,486	-11.1
Fruit trees
Insecticides	6,406	-8.7	15,902	-5.5
Fungicides	4,701	-8.5	15,012	-5.0
Insecticides/fungicides	220	-4.3	159	-4.2
Herbicides	2,662	-5.2	4,841	-6.6
Subtotal	13,988	-7.9	35,914	-5.4
Vegetables/upland farms
Insecticides	23,849	-9.4	34,850	-7.9
Fungicides	13,703	-11.6	25,468	-8.8
Insecticides/fungicides	1,012	-7.5	1,465	-0.8
Herbicides	6,490	-6.3	14,741	-3.9
Subtotal	45,055	-9.6	76,523	-7.4
Other uses²
Insecticides	2,010	-0.3	3,778	-3.5
Fungicides	423	+-5.5	2,187	-21.5
Insecticides/fungicides	1,428	+16.6	1,012	-13.2
Herbicides	7,095	-4.2	12,501	-5.1
Subtotal	10,957	-0.9	19,478	-0.2
Total
Insecticides	39,136	-9.8	62,076	-7.3
Fungicides	22,762	-10.4	49,093	-6.7
Insecticides/fungicides	13,302	-8.2	26,335	-8.0
Herbicides	37,936	-10.7	80,898	-9.3
Subtotal	113,136	-10.0	218,402	-8.0
Other sections³
Plant growth regulators	951	-19.3	3,127	-10.1
Rodenticides	23	+9.5	29	-12.1
Adjuvants	1,942	-19.6	1,700	-14.1
Others	35	+9.4	1,111	+153.7
Subtotal	2,950	-19.1	5,968	-0.6
Final Total	116,088	-10.3	224,368	-7.8
¹ The first half year of fiscal year 2015 ended March 31st 2015. ²Other uses: non-agricultural, forest, garden, golf ³Other sections: including plant growth regulators, rodenticides, adjuvants and biopesticides Source: Japan Crop Protection Association (JCPA)