Global pesticide market grows in 1996
According to a recently released report, global agrochemical sales grew by 5.5%, to US$30,560 million at the end-user level in 1996. Growth in real terms is estimated to be approximately 2.2%.
This is the third consecutive year that sales have risen. Sales increased 4.3% and 5.1% in real terms in 1995 and 1994 respectively. Pesticide sales data is compiled annually by Allan Woodburn Associates, consultants based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Latin America had the largest increase in sales — a 16% increase in dollar terms, accounting for one third of global sales growth. Latin America accounted for 10.4% of global agrochemical sales in 1996, up from 9.4% in 1995.
Much of this growth was due to higher sales in Brazil and Argentina. The value of Argentina's pesticide imports was up over 12% in 1996, which amounted to a 34% increase in volume.
North America continues to be the world's largest regional market and increased 6.8% to US$8856 million in 1996. Growth of agrochemical sales in this region have increased an average of about 6% per year during the 1990s.
The non-crop pesticide sector, which grew by 11%, accounted for the largest part of the North American increase. Sales of agricultural pesticides increased by approximately 6%, with herbicide use increasing by 10%.
Western Europe accounted for over 26% of world agrochemical sales. Annual pesticide sales in there have increased from approximately US$3.7 billion in 1985 to US$7.6 billion in 1995. Replacement of older active ingredients with newer, lower dose products has helped to maintain profits while volume sales have dropped in many countries.
Pesticide sales in Japan dropped 2% (in yen) in 1996. The market in other Asian countries, however, continued to grow, most notably in China and South Korea.
Woodburn Associates predict that the global agrochemical market will increase an average of 1.6% per year in real terms over the next five years, to approximately US$33,150 million in 2001 (in 1996 dollars). [From Pesticide Action Network North America Updates Service.]