Pesticide usage monitoring surveys

Services:

The Pesticide Usage Monitoring Group (PUMG) records the use of crop protection products within Northern Ireland. A cyclical programme examines pesticide usage in all sectors of the agricultural and horticultural industries. Principally, the data collected provides information for consideration by the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides.

The reports

The data may also be used by those involved in:

  • residue testing.
  • environmental impact studies.
  • public information.
  • evaluation and regulation of trends in pesticide usage.

Pesticide spraying
Pesticide usage monitoring forms part of an obligation under the Food and Environment Protection Act (1985) for post-registration monitoring of pesticides approved for use. 

Other monitoring

  • pesticide residues
  • wildlife incidents

Pesticide usage monitoring forms an integral part of the government's pesticide safety control arrangements, in providing quantitative and qualitative data on the usage of pesticides in agriculture, horticulture, food storage and associated industries.

UK Reporting

This work is also undertaken in England, Wales and in Scotland by the Food and Environment Agency (FERA) and the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), respectively. Reports from these regions may be obtained at the following sites and a comprehensive report for the UK is published by FERA  and SASA.

Support material, legislation and methods

Article

For further information on this work please contact the Pesticide usage monitoring group