The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) said on Monday that farmers had increased the number of treatments to save certain crops. An additional 329 tonnes of crop protection products were applied by farmers which is 17% more than in 2020. The increase was blamed on heavy rainfall, which favoured the proliferation of diseases, for example in viticulture or arboriculture.
The adverse weather conditions especially affected organic farming. The use of plant protection products authorised in organic farming totalled 1,233 tonnes, an increase of 36% compared to 2020. The quantity of plant protection products used in organic farming now exceeds that used in conventional farming (1,025 tonnes).
According to the FOAG, this development can be explained by a change in practice. Many farmers have turned to products used in organic farming, which led to the increase in sales. For example, the sale of fungicides like sulphur, copper and potassium bicarbonate together increased by 170 tonnes. All three products are permitted in organic farming. There was also an increase in sales of paraffin oil (154 tonnes), an insecticide allowed in organic farming that was used as a substitute for the insecticide chlorpyrifos, whose use was banned in 2020.
Related Stories
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Will Switzerland finally do away with imputed rental-value tax on homeowners?
US says Switzerland can order fewer fighter jets amid cost hike
This content was published on
According to the American authorities, a possible reduction in the number of F-35 fighter jets ordered by Switzerland is possible to cushion the unexpected cost increase.
On wolves, ‘priority should be given to scare shots’, says expert
This content was published on
Wolf expert Jean-Marc Landry believes that Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti's decision to rely entirely on shooting is short-sighted.
A thousand demonstrators in Swiss capital demand climate justice
This content was published on
The climate crisis is exacerbating injustice around the world, and the current economic system benefits from colonial and patriarchal oppression, said one of the speakers.
Russian drones in Poland have ‘no impact’ on Switzerland: defence minister
This content was published on
According to Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister, the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace "shows how unstable the situation in Europe is."
E-cars account for 10.5% of new registrations in the canton of Zug
This content was published on
Nowhere else in Switzerland are electric cars as popular as in Zug. Currently, 10.5 per cent of cars registered in the canton of Zug are purely electric, as new data from the online platform Energie Reporter and Energie Schweiz and Geoimpact show.
ETH climate researcher honoured with the German Environmental Award
This content was published on
Swiss climate researcher Sonia Isabelle Seneviratne from ETH Zurich receives the German Environmental Award 2025. She shares the prize, endowed with 500,000 euros, with the management duo of the steel galvanising company Zinq.
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.
Read more
More
Is 100% organic farming a revolution too far?
This content was published on
Organic farming is widely touted as a green and sustainable solution. The experiences of Sri Lanka and Switzerland show the reality is complicated.
This content was published on
Over 60% of Swiss voters have thrown out a pair of initiatives aiming to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in the country.
Switzerland and pesticides: Toxic relationship or necessary evil?
This content was published on
Swiss voters will soon decide if they want an outright ban on synthetic pesticides. Are the claims made by supporters true? A look at the facts.
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.