Der Pflanzenschutzmittelmarkt 1996/97

Since 1993 the world market of plant protection agents has grown to a turnover of 30 Mill. US$ in 1997. The annual growth rates of the last four years have been between 4,3 % and 12,5 %. The most important markets of plant protection agents are North America, Asia/Oceania, - particularly China, Australia, Japan and India - and Western Europe. In Germany, domestic consumption increased in 1996 as in 1994 and 1995, but has not yet reached the level of 1991. The differences in German pesticides use among the farm units remained the same as in the former years: According to the Agrarbericht 1998 of German Government the use of plant protection agents in the agricultural financial year 1995/96 ranges from 545 DM/ha for farms with permanent crops over 206 DM/ha LF for cash-crops farms to 64 DM/ha LF for cattle and pig farms. Pesticides application obviously mainly depends on the farm systems respectively crop species proportion.