Pests generated losses of US$ 250 billion in the world

Annual economic damages of pests on crops, pastures and forest areas accounted approximately US$ 250 billion all over the world. This was according to surveys conducted in the USA, UK, Australia, South Africa, India and Brazil, with data from the Ministry of Natural Environment.

 

In 2014, the Crop Protection Secretariat through the Department of Plant Health compiled data on the impacts of some pest over Brazilian crops. The goal was to build an investment plan for the execution of phytosanitary policies.

 

According to Luís Rangel, director of the department, "it is difficult to estimate the losses caused by pests on agricultural crops and livestocks, and mainly the ones arising from quarantine species". Only in the case of the phytosanitary emergency of Helicoverpa armigera (corn earworm), according to the associations, there were losses of over R$ 10 billion in the last years in Brazil.

 

Over the last year, new diseases and pests have caused significant losses in the citrus sector like Huanglongbing (HLB) or Greening; on different palms, like the Red Palm Mite, and the caterpillar corn earworm on corn, soybean, and cotton crops.

 

The indiscriminate use of insecticides can cause phenomena that lead to a dose increase of up to 70% but without efficiency. The estimate is that the agrochemicals costs increasing 30% because of the corn earworm, reaching R$ 374 per hectare. It is highlighted that the cost for developing chemical molecules is estimated at over US$ 200 million.