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.
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
How retiring baby boomers could crash Swiss property market
This content was published on
Swiss politicians from across the political spectrum have called on the government to protect minorities in the face of continuing attacks in Syria.
Swiss court rejects appeal to release funds linked to former Ukraine regime
This content was published on
Swiss Supreme Court rejects appeal to unfreeze the assets of people linked to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Sahara sand clouds Swiss visibility after Canadian smoke
This content was published on
Sahara dust has further clouded visibility in Swiss skies, adding to smoke particles that drifted over from forest fires in Canada.
Nuclear weapons spending exceeded $100 billion for first time
This content was published on
Spending by the nine nuclear powers topped the $100 billion mark for the first time last year, according to the NGO ICAN.
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.