Rising biopesticide use in fruit production

Provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau on pesticide use¹ for cereals harvested in 2024 show higher application rates per hectare of fruit trees and berry bushes compared with 2019, mainly driven by higher use of biological fungicides ² and insecticides ³. Meanwhile, pesticide use on vegetable areas and potatoes has declined.

Weather conditions have a strong influence on annual pesticide use. Dry periods favour the spread of pests, which are then controlled with insecticides, while high humidity encourages the development of plant diseases and weed growth, managed with fungicides and herbicides ⁴. In 2024, weather conditions were highly variable, with alternating periods of drought, heat, and heavy rainfall.

A marked increase was recorded in pesticide use on apple orchards – from 0.82 kg per hectare in 2019 to 1.47 kg per hectare in 2024, or by 80 %. For pear orchards, application rates rose from 1.87 kg to 2.40 kg (28 %), and for plum orchards – from 0.30 kg to 0.46 kg (57 %). Pesticide use on strawberry areas remained unchanged at 0.32 kg per hectare.

The increase in pesticide use for plums and apples was driven by more widespread use of the biological fungicide potassium hydrogen carbonate, which is applied to control and treat diseases and accounted for 86 % of all fungicides used in plum orchards and 12 % in apple orchards. Pesticide use in apple and pear orchards was also affected by the growing use of the biological insecticide paraffin oil, which in 2024 accounted for 97 % of the insecticides applied to apples and 99.6 % to pears.

‘With tighter authorisation rules and fewer active substances permitted under EU regulations, farmers in Latvia are increasingly looking for effective alternatives. These products, however, often need to be applied in larger quantities per hectare than synthetic pesticides,’ explained Vents Ezers, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department at the State Plant Protection Service.

In cherry orchards, pesticide use decreased from 0.31 kg per hectare in 2019 to 0.26 kg in 2024, or by 16 %, while in raspberry areas it fell from 0.16 kg to 0.13 kg, or by 22 %.

Across open-field vegetable areas, pesticide use also declined, except for cabbages, where it increased by 13 % – from 0.86 kg to 0.98 kg. For carrots, the decrease was 6 % (from 3.34 kg to 3.15 kg), for onions 5 % (from 3.49 kg to 3.32 kg), and for beet 1 % (from 1.78 kg to 1.77 kg). In potato fields, the figure also dropped – by 21 % (from 2.00 kg to 1.57 kg).

Refer to the OSP database LAV030; CSB estimates.

Herbicides most commonly used on beet

Effective weed control in vegetable fields is an important condition for achieving optimal yield levels and for efficient harvesting. Herbicides for weed control were used most extensively on beet areas, accounting for 94 % of all pesticides applied there, followed by carrots (93 %), cabbages (75 %) and onions (56 %).

Herbicide use increased for cabbages – from 0.64 kg per hectare in 2019 to 0.81 kg in 2024, or by 26 %. For onions, application rates grew from 1.96 kg to 2.40 kg (43 %), and for strawberries – from 0.06 kg to 0.09 kg (58 %). In contrast, herbicide use on beet areas slightly decreased – from 1.69 kg per hectare to 1.68 kg, or by 1 %.

In fruit and berry plantations, except for apples and strawberries, herbicide use per hectare fell significantly.

Fungicides mainly applied to orchards and potato fields

In 2024, fungicides were used primarily for disease control in apple orchards – accounting for 55 % of all pesticides applied there – followed by plums (96 %), cherries (67 %), strawberries (67 %). For potatoes, fungicides represented 76 % of total pesticide use.

Compared with 2019, lower fungicide use was recorded for cherries – from 0.19 kg per hectare to 0.17 kg (10 %), for pears – from 1.24 kg to 1.11 kg (10 %), and for raspberries – from 0.13 kg to 0.11 kg (10 %).  Higher application rates for apples and plums were mainly driven by greater use of biological fungicides.

For vegetables and potatoes, fungicide use per hectare was lower than in 2019.

Insecticide use increased in orchards

Wider use of biological insecticides resulted in higher insecticide application rates for apple, pear and cherry orchards compared with 2019. 

In vegetable areas, insecticides were used only in very small quantities, representing just 10 % of all pesticides applied to cabbages and less than 1 % applied to carrots, beet, onions, strawberries and potatoes.

Explore more agri-environmental indicators, such as pesticide use per hectare and its structure, along with methodological information and a glossary of terms, in the Agri-environmental indicators section of the official statistics portal.

Methodological information

¹ Plant protection products are recalculated into active substances – substances, including microorganisms, that have general or specific effect on hazardous organisms or plants as well as parts or products thereof.

² Fungicides – pesticides used to kill and control fungal diseases.

³ Insecticides – pesticides used to kill insects.

⁴ Herbicides – pesticides used to destroy unwanted vegetation, including weeds.

Data on the pesticide use in agriculture are compiled in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics on pesticides. The data are used to assess the quantities of pesticides applied to different agricultural crops.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
Email: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Guna Karlsone
Environment Statistics Methodology Section
Email: Guna.Karlsone@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366981