California reported 179 million pounds of pesticide use in 2024, up 2% from 2023, according to the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. The annual increase contrasts with declines over the past decade in several higher-risk pesticide categories, DPR said in its Nov. 9, 2026, release of the 2024 Pesticide Use Report.
Treated acres count repeat applications
Cumulative treated acreage reached 102 million acres, a 4% increase from 2023. That figure counts repeated applications on the same land, so it is not a measure of planted acreage. A field treated more than once contributes acreage to the total with each application.
DPR attributed part of the annual increase to acreage returning to production after severe flooding delayed or prevented some planting in 2023. The agency also identified weather, pest pressures, regulatory changes, commodity acreage and pest-management innovations as factors that can affect use from year to year.
Six regulated categories show long-term declines
Over the past 10 years, DPR reported declines in pounds applied across six regulated categories: groundwater contaminants, down 78%; cholinesterase inhibitors, down 43%; reproductive toxins, down 38%; toxic air contaminants, down 29%; carcinogens, down 28%; and fumigants, down 26%.
Those figures describe changes in pounds applied, not measured exposure or health outcomes. DPR also reported that use of biopesticides and oils increased between 2023 and 2024, describing those products as posing lower risks to human health and the environment.
Use concentrated in major farming counties
The San Joaquin Valley had the highest regional pesticide use. Statewide, the five counties with the highest use were Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin and Monterey, according to DPR.
California’s pesticide-use reporting program began in 1990. County agricultural commissioners collect reports from farmers, applicators and others required to report use. DPR uses those records to track trends and inform its continuing pesticide evaluations, mitigation measures and regulatory work.
