China Pesticide Industry Report

In the past decade, the pesticide industry in China had developed rapidly, the pesticide output has almost doubled, and its variety increased by times as well. In 2007, with policy support and market stimulation, pesticide production still maintained rapid growth. However, as agricultural production relies much on season, the monthly output of pesticide fluctuated with season. Things are particularly true with the monthly output of antiseptic, gap between maximum and minimum was about 87.28 percentage points.

The accumulative output of raw chemical pesticide in China was 1.403 million tons from Jan to Oct of 2007, up 21.28% year-on-year, and the growth rate was down 0.88 percentage points compared to previous year. Meanwhile, the growth rate of accumulative output of herbicide accelerated, while the insecticide and antiseptic continued to drop. The accumulative antiseptic output in China amounted to 112,300 tons from Jan to Oct of 2007, rising 10.69% year-on-year, and the growth rate increased 6.98 percentage points compared to past year; the accumulative output of insecticide was 511,500 tons, ascending 10.66% year-on-year only, while down 5.06 percentage points year-on-year. What's more, the pesticide product structure was further improved from Jan to Oct of 2007, and the ratio of insecticide to total output of pesticide had dropped to 36.48%, declining 1.86% compared to the first half of year.

It is forecasted that the total demand amount of pesticide will be 298,200 tons in China in 2008, nearly same to the 2007; and the demand of high-effective and low-poison insecticide in the pesticide market will be a bit down steadily, the demand of herbicide will be robust, the demand of antiseptic will be steady, and the total supply will be sufficient. The pesticide varieties with more than 10,000 tons demand amount all over China will include dichlorvos, acetochlor, copper sulfate, glyphosate, trichlorfon, disosultap etc, 5,000 to 10,000 tons varieties include phoxim, carbendazim, monosultap, butachlor, atrazine, omethoate, triophanate-methyl, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-D butyl ester, dimethoate, acephate etc. In addition, the provinces with more than 20,000 tons of pesticide demand amount are Heilongjiang and Hunan, and the following provinces are ranging from 10,000 tons and 20,000 tons, like Guangdong, Yunan, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.

It is forecasted that the total demand amount of insecticide will be 140,100 tons in China in 2008, down 3.24% year-on-year; the demand of acaricide will rise dramatically, and the total amount will hit 10,600 tons, rising 15.84% year-on-year; the demand amount of antiseptic will be the same to previous year, and the total amount will be 76,000 tons; the demand of herbicide will still be robust, and the total demand amount will amount to 78,000 tons; the demand of rodenticide will rise year by year, and its demand amount will be 928.4 tons in 2008, increasing 20.64% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the demand amount of pesticide spraying machine will be a bit down in China in 2008, and the high-quality and high-efficient hand-operated sprayer will be popular among the farmers.

Guided by a series of policies concerning construction new rural areas, the pesticide industry in China will have good opportunity in the following five years. However, the favorable external environment only provides a kind of possibility, the leading factors that make the pesticide industry revive still is the internal reconstruction of industry and companies. We should not only enlarge the independent research and development, avoid the homogeneous war competition, and improve industry concentration through industry integration, but also controlling sales channel pesticide companies. From the development principle of international pesticide industry, the industry profit is switching to finished preparations and sales channel from raw material manufacturing. Currently, the majority of domestic pesticide companies are still in the level of chemical products manufacturing, so how to change the profitability mode is key to improve industry concentration and comprehensive competitiveness.

Seen from the policy environment, the documents, like Central Government's proposals on making the 11th Five-year Plan, National Guideline on Medium and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology, CPC Central Committee and State Council on further construction of a new socialist countryside etc, all show that pesticide industry has become the core topic. Combining the current situation of industry and relevant guiding policies, the 11th Five-year Plan of national pesticide industry will attach great importance to adjust the industry structure, enlarge the scientific research investment and control environment pollution. The adjustment policies of national pesticide industry structure will have crucial influence on the future trend of pesticide market, so the pesticide companies complying with national industry policies and adjusting the product structure in time will gain more profit in the future industry integration.