The pace of new pesticide product launches has slowed significantly compared to the past, with herbicides showing the most significant decline, followed by insecticides. However, the market entry of new fungicide products has been very strong, especially in recent years.
In 2009, 17 new pesticide varieties were publicly disclosed globally, with fungicides accounting for 9, exceeding 50%. These included 3 amide compounds, 3 strobilurin compounds, 1 triazolopyrimidine compound, 1 quinoline compound, and 1 antiviral agent, flufenoxuron. During the 11th Five-Year Plan period, 34 pesticide varieties with independent intellectual property rights obtained pesticide registration licenses in China, 17 of which were fungicides, accounting for half. Major varieties include flumorph, tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, and chlortetracycline.
Reasons for the promising global prospects for fungicide production and application:
1. The increasing intensification of agriculture;
2. Frequent extreme weather events driving demand for fungicides;
3. Sustained rapid growth in demand for fungicides outside of pesticide sectors, with substantial profit margins;
4. The expiration of patents for some high-efficiency fungicide varieties during the 12th Five-Year Plan period;
5. Continued government encouragement of technological innovation during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, leading to the continuous development and market launch of fungicide varieties with independent intellectual property rights;
6. The expanding planting area of genetically modified crops will have a significant negative impact on insecticides and herbicides, but almost no impact on fungicides.
