The Pesticide Usage Monitoring Group (PUMG) records the use of crop protection products within Northern Ireland. A cyclical programme of surveys examines pesticide usage in all sectors of the agricultural and horticultural industries. Principally, the data collected provides information for consideration by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides.
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 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 includes:
- pesticide residues (Agri-Food and Environmental Sciences Division).
- wildlife incidents (Veterinary Sciences Division).
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.
Regular evaluation of pesticide usage in agriculture and horticulture in Northern Ireland was initiated in 1989. Similar surveys are conducted in Great Britain by pesticide usage monitoring groups in:
Data on individual pesticide treatments for each crop are obtained and subsequently raised to the provincial level before analysis and reporting.
Arable crops are monitored biannually, with all other sectors monitored every four years.
The PUMG in Northern Ireland appraises a range of sectors within the agriculture/horticulture industries.
