Almost every year active ingredients go off the market. This results in products going off the market.

Some products may contain a mix of active ingredients and so they may leave the market, but come back onto the market without the banned active ingredient.

They may still carry a similar trade name, but will have a different PCS number.

So, farmers need to be sure to use up the old product by the use-by period.

Checking PCS numbers in your chemical store is essential.

Other products will just leave the market.

Active ingredient

This year, beet herbicide Debut which contains triflusulfuron-methyl will leave the market as this active ingredient is being banned. The last date of use for this product is 20 August, 2024.

Another product readers will be familiar with which is leaving the market is Zorvec Endavia which contains benthiavalicarb.

This must be used up by 13 December, 2024. Zorvec Entecta contains a different ingredient and so will remain on the market.

When an active ingredient is being removed there are four different steps. There is a revoke date. Following this there is a last date of sale by the authorisation holder.

There is then a last date of sale by the pesticide distributor or the retailer, and finally, a last date of use by the farmer or the professional user.

This means that once a product is revoked, the company that produces it has time to sell the remaining stock.

There is then time for that product to be sold and also time for the product to be used.

Table 1 outlines the active ingredients listed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which need to be used during 2024.