While the total amount of pesticides sold in Switzerland remained virtually unchanged over the past decade, the sale of insecticides is outpacing that of herbicides.
The market leader for plant protection products was sulphur, followed by paraffin oil, glyphosate and folpet.
Whilst the total sale of pesticide products remained about the same, there was a noticeable drop in sales for the controversial weed killer glyphosate, which brought down total herbicide sales by 27%.
One of the reasons for this decline could be that farmers increasingly focus on mechanical weed control, the environmental authorities wrote.
In contrast, the sale of insecticides increased between 2008 and 2016. This could be down to the appearance of the cherry vinegar fly (rhagoletis cerasi) in Switzerland eight years ago, which can cause great damage to fruit crops, the government wrote.
More
More
Swiss urge farmers to use fewer pesticides
This content was published on
The vast majority of Swiss people want local farmers to use fewer pesticides on their fields, according to a survey published on Thursday.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Anti-pesticide farm initiative passes the signature stage
This content was published on
Campaigners have handed in signatures backing an initiative which would cut direct subsidies to farmers who use pesticides or antibiotics.
Swiss bee expert laments exaggerated focus on insecticides
This content was published on
Bees and other pollinators are vital to three-quarters of the world’s food crops but have been in serious decline in recent decades.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.