Demand For Fertilizer and Pestcides
INCREASING
By 2016, demand for lawn and garden consumables will reach $8.8 billion, according to a recent study by The Freedonia Group, Inc. The study concludes that demand for these products will increase 3.3 percent annually, which may equate to more landscaping business nationwide. Pesticides and fertilizers are predicted to sell the most.
As the housing market improves, which will lead to landscaping, the demand for fertilizers will continue to increase. Even though fertilizer sales were down less than one percent in the last five years, the study projects it will rise 4.4 percent by 2016.
Pesticide market profits will grow slower due to the many off-patent options and growing concern over the environmental impact. However, the organic lawn and garden market will increase.
Over the last five years, seed has seen a 2.6 percent in- crease in demand, growing media has seen 1.3 and mulch has seen 0.7 percent. Over the following five years, de- mand for those products is expected to rise 4.1 percent, 3.9 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
California City To Pass Pesticide Ban
The new law would ban city agencies from using known carcinogens as listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and products containing organophosphates or carbamate. There's no word yet if such bans are to be aimed at private landscape contractors in the near future. "There are a lot of good reasons to do this, and there's no evidence that it's going to bust any budgets," said Richmond City Councilman Tom Butt. "This is smart policy."
San Francisco and Berkeley, as well as Marin and Contra Costa counties, have already passed similar rules, according to Californians for Pesticide Re- form, an anti-pesticide watchdog group.
Richmond, California is set to pass an ordinance banning the use of some pesticides by city workers and introduce strategies to reduce the use of chemical agents.
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