Pesticide sales volumes in Canada increased 17% in 2013

Pesticide sales in Canada in 2013 were 109, 070.9 tons (active ingredient calculations), which is a 17% increase from the 92,917.7 tons sold in 2012, according to ‘Pest Control Products Sales Report for 2013’ published recently by the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). This is a larger increase than reported in previous years (maximum increase of 3%). 

 

In the analysis of the overall quantity for 2013, it should be noted that the sum of the top 50 products from the total number of products for which sales reports were submitted made up 68.0% of the total ais sold in Canada in 2013 (74,154.3 tons). This was an increase in the overall quantity from 2012, where the top 50 products sold 63,293.6 tons, while the relative amount was consistent (68.1% of overall). The top 10 active ingredients sold made up 73,370 tons or 67.3% of the total. Five active ingredients have remained on the top 10 list over the past 5 years (since 2009): glyphosate, available chlorine, present as sodium hypochlorite, 2,4-D, MCPA, and mineral oil.
 

Sales Information by Sector
 

All products were grouped according to their areas of use into three sectors: Agricultural, Non-Agricultural, and Domestic.
 

Agricultural Sector
 

Products with agricultural uses accounted for the largest amount of pesticide sales in Canada in 2013 at 73.9%. There was an 11% increase in Agricultural sector pesticide sales from 72,565.6 tons in 2012 to 80,612.1 tons in 2013. While absolute quantities increased in the Agricultural sector, when combined with increases in Non-agricultural and Domestic sector sales, there was an overall decrease in the prominence of the Agricultural sector in overall sales by about 4% (from 78% in 2012 to 74% in 2013).
 

Of the quantity of pesticides sold having Agricultural sector uses, herbicides accounted for 80.1% of the pesticide sales, followed by fungicides at 11.2% and insecticides at 4.6%. Antimicrobials (0.3%) and vertebrate control (0.02%) accounted for very small quantities of agricultural pesticides sold in 2013 and have been included in the “others” category to account for 5.4% of agricultural sales. Within the Agricultural sector, sales by product type have been consistent, with only very small changes seen in the percentage of sales in each type throughout the years reported.
 

Eight of the top 10 agricultural active ingredients were herbicides and adjuvants that are used in conjunction with herbicides. These top 10 active ingredients accounted for 77% of the Agricultural sector pesticides sold. Of the top 10, eight have remained consistent over the last 5 years of reporting: glyphosate, 2,4-D, MCPA, mineral oil, surfactant blend, mancozeb, chlorothalonil, and bromoxynil.

 

Non-Agricultural Sector
 

Commercial products with non-agricultural uses accounted for the second-largest amount of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013 at 20.2% (compared to 17.1% in 2012). Non-agricultural sector pesticide sales increased almost 39% from 2012 to 2013 (from 15,889.4 tons to 22,050.3 tons). After a marked drop in 2012, this rebound in Non-agriculture sales is more consistent with an overall slight decline in Non-agricultural sales since the start of the sales reporting program in 2008.
 

Of the total pesticides sold with Non-agricultural sector uses, antimicrobials accounted for 95.7%, followed by herbicides with 2.5%. Fungicides (1.1%), insecticides (0.8%), vertebrate control (0.5%) and other product types (0.04%) were combined due to the low quantities of pesticides sold. Fluctuations within the product type groupings have been evident since the start of pesticide sales reporting. However, antimicrobials consistently account for the majority of Non-agricultural sector pesticide sales (with a low of 86% to a high of 96.3%).
 

The top 10 active ingredients sold with Non-agricultural sector uses were antimicrobials. Some of the active ingredients also have product types in addition to the antimicrobial type. Non-agricultural sector products would be used predominantly in the wood preservation industry and for water treatment. The top 10 active ingredients accounted for 76% of the Non-agricultural sector pesticides sold. Six active ingredients have remained on the top 10 list for Non-agricultural sector pesticides over the last 5 years: available chlorine, present as sodium hypochlorite, chromic acid, glutaraldehyde, arsenic pentoxide, copper as elemental, and cupric oxide.
 

Domestic Sector
 

The Domestic Class products accounted for 5.9% of overall pesticide sales in Canada for 2013. There was a 44% increase from 2012 (4,462.7 tons) to 2013 (6,408.5 tons) in Domestic sector pesticide sales. This increased total is within amounts that have been seen in previous years of reporting.

Antimicrobial products accounted for 79.7% of domestic pesticides sold in Canada mainly due to the sales of swimming pool and spa products. Insecticides accounted for 11.4% of the Domestic sector sales. Herbicides accounted for 7.4% of the Domestic sector sales.
 

Fungicides (0.5%), vertebrate controls (1.3%), and “other “products (0.05%) accounted for a small portion of sales and were combined. The Domestic sector has seen fluctuation from year to year in the product type groupings, especially in the herbicide, insecticide, and antimicrobial groupings.

The top 10 active ingredients sold for use in the Domestic sector are from two product type groups: antimicrobials and insecticides. Of the top 10 products, seven are used for swimming pools and spas and accounted for 87% of the amount sold of the top 10 Domestic sector list. The top 10 active ingredients accounted for 88.1% of the Domestic sector pesticides sold. Eight actives remained in the top 10 over the last 5 years: available chlorine, present as calcium hypochlorite, available chlorine, present as trichloro-s-triazinetrione, n-alkyl (40% C12, 50% C14, 10% C16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, Poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride], naphthalene, DEET, available bromine and chlorine, present as 1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and related hydantoins.

 

Sales Information by Product Type
 

In the following sections, all pesticides are discussed according to their product type (including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, antimicrobials, vertebrate controls, and other product types).
 

As previously discussed, a product may have a number of different uses on the label. As the sales reporting does not collect data on the relative amount of a product used for a specific label use, the data may not necessarily be separated into only one product type. This means that there may be overlap between the product type groupings and these numbers should not be summed to obtain total quantities sold in Canada in 2013, as an over-reporting would occur.
 

Herbicides
 

Herbicides accounted for 60.1% (65,569.9 tons) of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013. This is a decrease in proportional representation from 2012 when herbicides accounted for 64% of all pesticides sold, but is similar to proportions seen in years prior to 2012. There was an overall increase of 11% in the quantities of herbicides sold in 2012 (59,087.2 tons) to 2013 (65,569.9 tons).
 

The top 10 herbicides sold in 2013 accounted for 90.1% of all herbicide sales in Canada and 54.1% of pesticide sales overall. Six of the top 10 active ingredients have remained in the top 10 over the last five years: glyphosate, 2,4-D, MCPA, bromoxynil, S-metolachlor and R-enantiomer, and atrazine.

 

Insecticides
 

Insecticides accounted for 4.3% (4,643.2 tons) of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013. Insecticide sales have remained relatively low during the years of reporting, with the highest quantities sold in 2012 (4,742.6 tons) and the lowest in 2010 (3,796.7 tons). Many of the insecticides are used in agricultural settings, though the fifth- and sixth-most sold insecticides (naphthalene and DEET) are used only in the Domestic sector.
 

The top 10 insecticides sold in 2013 accounted for 79% of all insecticides sales in Canada and 3.3% of pesticide sales overall. Seven of the top 10 insecticides have remained on the top 10 list during all years of reporting: mineral oil, chlorpyrifos, naphthalene, DEET, sulphur, thiamethoxam, and clothianidine.

 

Fungicides
 

Fungicides accounted for 8.5% (9,324.9 tons) of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013. Fungicide sales have remained relatively low throughout the reporting years, with a high in 2013 and a low in 2010 (5,784.8 tons). The vast majority of fungicides are used in the Agricultural sector (97%).
 

The top 10 fungicides sold in Canada in 2013 accounted for 72.9% of fungicide sales and 6.2% of pesticide sales overall. Five of the top 10 active ingredients have remained consistent in the last 5 years of reporting: chlorothalonil, mancozeb, metam-sodium, chloropicrin, and sulphur.
 

Antimicrobials
 

Antimicrobials accounted for 24.2% (26,430.8 tons) of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013. This was a 44% increase from 2012 (18,341.5 tons). This is a return closer to amounts sold in previous years, after a drop in 2012. While most of the antimicrobial active ingredients are used in the Non-agricultural sector, there are a number where the majority of the active ingredient is sold in the Domestic sector. This is true of some of the active ingredients containing available chlorine and available bromine. The high volumes are due to large quantities used in swimming pools and spas, which are mostly for Domestic use.
 

The top 10 antimicrobial active ingredients sold in 2013 accounted for 80% of all antimicrobial sales in Canada and 19.4% of pesticide sales overall. Six of the top 10 active ingredients have remained consistent in the last 5 years of reporting: available chlorine, present as sodium hypochlorite, available bromine present as 1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin and related hydantoins, chromic acid, glutaraldehyde, arsenic pentoxide, and copper as elemental.
 

Vertebrate Control
 

Vertebrate controls accounted for 0.2% (212.8 tons) of all pesticides sold in Canada in 2013. Since sales data have been collected in Canada, products for vertebrate control have always accounted for a very small and consistent amount of overall pesticide sales.
 

The top 10 vertebrate controls accounted for 97.7% of all vertebrate control sales in 2013 and 0.2% of pesticide sales overall. Four of the top 10 active ingredients have remained consistent in the last 5 years: carbon dioxide gas, cellulose (from powdered corn cobbs), dried blood, and zinc phosphide.
 

Others
 

Products fall into the “Others” type when they include uses that are not classified in any of the groups above and include adjuvants, nematicides, and molluscicides. These “other” products accounted for 3.8% (4,122.3 tons) of pesticide sales in Canada in 2013. Sales in this category have fluctuated slightly over the years of reporting, but have remained fairly low, with a high in 2013 and a low in 2008 (2,033.7 tons). The majority of the label uses of these other active ingredients are in the Agricultural sector (99.7%).
 

The top 10 active ingredients sold in Canada in 2013 accounted for 99.3% of “other” type sales and 3.8% of pesticide sales overall. Six of the top 10 active ingredients have remained consistent in the last 5 years of reporting: surfactant blend, mineral oil, nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol, paraffin based petroleum oil, octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol, and polyoxyalkylated alkyl phosphate ester.
 

Biopesticides
 

Biopesticides include microbial pesticides (contain a bacterium, fungus, virus, protozoan, or alga as the active ingredient), pheromones and other semiochemical pesticides, and other nonconventional (formerly biochemical) pesticides.
 

In 2013, there were 157 active ingredients identified as biopesticides, which accounted for 817 registered products.
 

A total of 54 products out of the 340 end-use products reported as sold could not be converted into kg a.i. due to the use of unconventional units, such as colony forming units and international units or errors in reporting of the products. Biopesticide sales have been broken into two groups: 1) those products which could be converted into kg a.i., and 2) microbial products that could not be converted into kg a.i. It is important to note that biopesticide sales are represented in this subsection in addition to being included in each individual product type section (e.g., herbicides, insecticides, etc.).
 

The 286 products that could be converted to kg a.i. accounted for 5,786.7 tons sold in 2013 which represents 5.3 % of pesticide sales overall. There was a slight decrease in biopesticide sales from 2012 (5,919.3 tons) to 2013. The sales of biopesticides have fluctuated in the years that data have been collected. Insecticides accounted for 45.9% of the biopesticide sales in 2013. Herbicides accounted for the next largest portion of biopesticide sales in 2013 at 35.0%, followed by fungicides with 16.7% of sales, and vertebrate control with 3.1%. Antimicrobials accounted for 0.6% of the biopesticides sold in 2013 and were added to the “others” product type (7.0%).

 

The top 10 active ingredients accounted for 92.9% of sales of biopesticides that could be converted to kg a.i. and 4.9% of pesticide sales overall. Six of the top 10 active ingredients remained consistent in the last five years of reporting: corn gluten meal, mineral oil, sulphur, Ndecanol, silicon dioxide, and mono- and dipotassium phosphite.