Explosive growth of registration of generic technical poisons in China in 2022

The number of pesticides registered in China in 2022 has decreased significantly compared to 2021. In 2022, only 500 new registrations were made in China, which actually accounted for 17% of the 2884 new registrations last year, and on the other hand, no new technical materials were approved this year. In 2022, 290 new pesticide products were registered for crops, of which the largest number (96) was related to herbicides. The process of registration of several technical pesticide substances including prothioconazole (13 TCs), chlorantraniliprole (7 TCs) and L-glufosinate (3 TCs and 2 TKs) in 2022 faced an explosive state (Table 1):

During the same year, the value of China's exports reached 9.74 billion dollars, which was a 56.53% increase compared to the same period last year. The average unit price has also increased by 49.85% compared to the previous year. In terms of specific commodities, herbicides led other products with an export volume of 1.338 million tons, a 14.86% year-on-year increase, and an export value of US$6.94 billion, 88.48% over the same period last year. The main export markets for herbicides were Brazil, Australia, USA, Nigeria and Thailand. Ukraine, as a grain producer, was once one of China's major pesticide export markets. China's herbicide exports to Ukraine fell by 46.52 percent from January to October 2022 under the influence of Russia's attack. The volume of insecticide exports was 323,000 tons, which increased by 2.19% compared to the same period last year, and the export value was 1.67 billion US dollars, which increased by 19.44% compared to the previous year. The main export markets were Brazil, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia. Despite the fact that insecticide exports to a number of markets have decreased, exports to Brazil have increased significantly by 96.4%, and prices have been essentially flat compared to last year. The volume of fungicide export was 108,000 tons, which was a decrease of 2.58% compared to the previous year, and the export value was 740 million US dollars, which was an increase of 14.11% compared to the previous year. The main export markets were Indonesia, Australia, Vietnam, Brazil and Bangladesh.

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the rapidly developing pesticide industry in China. Obviously, China's pesticide industry needs to regain its international influence after the pandemic. Therefore, pesticide products originating in China have begun to be exported even to high-end markets. Research and development companies, including KingAgroot, CAC Group, Synda and Pilarbio, are actively planning and exploring markets for their new products. Chinese pesticide companies generally believe that only by intensifying efforts in innovative R&D and increasing their independent innovation capabilities can they meet the global demand for green and sustainable agriculture. It can be expected that Chinese brands will be seen everywhere in global agricultural fields in the future